The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has urged Arewa students and young Nigerians to take active responsibility for Nigeria’s political future by voting for credible, competent and patriotic leaders in the 2027 elections.
The party’s National Chairman Professor Abubakar Sadiq Gombe who spoke while receiving the leadership of the Arewa Students Forum at the party’s national headquarters, Abuja, said young Nigerians could no longer afford to remain passive as the country grapples with worsening socio-economic and political challenges.
He urged the students, who he said represented about 2.1 million people, to recognise the strategic importance of their votes and deploy them to elect leaders with character, competence, capacity, patriotism and fear of God.
According to him, the numerical strength of the students could determine the outcome of future elections, noting that the margin between leading presidential candidates in recent elections had been relatively small.
“Leadership is our major problem in this country. When you don’t get it right at the level of leadership, you are not going to get it right at any level or in any sphere of human endeavour,” he said.
The SDP chairman, who described the Arewa Students Forum as non-partisan, however, stressed that political neutrality should not translate into indifference to the electoral process.
He advised the students to educate their peers, participate actively in voter registration and campaigns, and support candidates based on their antecedents rather than ethnic, religious, regional or partisan considerations.
“You must be committed to educating your peers. You are of voting age. When you are 18, you are eligible to vote. You have to educate your peers so that they make the right choice in our elections,” he said.
The chairman said Nigeria needed leaders who could combine competence with character, warning that academic qualifications and titles alone could not guarantee good governance.
He recalled his experience as a student union leader, saying he regarded that period of his life as one of his most significant achievements because of its impact on fellow students and society.
According to him, student leaders of his generation were deeply involved in debates and initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges confronting students, including the cost of food and other essential commodities.
He argued that some of the debates and solutions generated by student leaders in the past were more substantive than what currently obtains in the National Assembly.
He therefore challenged young Nigerians to begin leadership now rather than waiting until they were older.
“Character comes before learning. Learning without character is virtually nothing. Character matters in the life of an individual, community or nation,” he said.
He also warned that Nigeria’s current political challenges were particularly severe in the northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, urging the younger generation to take deliberate steps to change the situation through democratic participation.
The SDP chairman said the students did not necessarily have to join his party, but should support candidates capable of delivering good governance regardless of their political affiliation.
“We are not saying you must belong to the SDP. You must, however, be committed to participating in the process of electing credible, patriotic and competent leaders,” he said.
Earlier, the Arewa Students Forum had honoured the SDP leadership, describing the party’s chairman as a servant leader whose humility and commitment to humanity distinguished him from many political figures.
The students said their recognition was based on the chairman’s record of service, intellectual accomplishment and accessibility.
Responding to the honour, the SDP chairman expressed appreciation to the students and said the recognition was not merely an award but a challenge to the party to do more for Nigerians.
He said the honour demonstrated that the activities of political parties were being watched and assessed by young Nigerians.
“This is just to challenge us to do more. We never thought you were watching and rating us,” he said.
He assured the students that the SDP would continue to contribute to the well-being of Nigerians and humanity, while praying for their safe return to their various destinations.
He further urged the students to remain hopeful, patriotic and committed to Nigeria, stressing that the country had no alternative and must be salvaged collectively.