Youths Launch #VoteOrShutUp2019 Movement Towards 2019 Elections

On Monday 7 May, some Nigerian youths through the #Voteorshutup2019 Social Movement, took advantage of the early morning commuters traffic and stormed the streets of Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Maryland simultaneously to hand out thousands of free voters guide booklets and educate the people on the importance of obtaining their Permanent Voters Card, PVC and participating in the upcoming elections. 

This is a contribution made independently by the youth as a bid to support each other in getting involved in their country’s politics.

The moment also saw a group of young people coming together to discuss the situation of their country utilising social media as a positive tool to spread positive knowledge instead of negativity.

Mr Osazee Bazuaye, a hospitality and lifestyle  specialist and representative of the movement said “It is easy for young people to complain, so many young people don’t bother to vote but they love to complain about the elected officials, we want people to come out and vote, we don’t care who you vote for just vote.”

The movement started silently early this year and has seen a gradual growth in interest from its peers.

Also commenting, Miss Moe of Events By Moe said “we want the politicians to acknowledge the efforts of groups like us, this is something we are passionate about and we are not even politicians so we expect the passion from the politicians to be 100 times more than ours in getting young people interested in supporting them.”

It is learnt that the movement consists of part-time volunteers and interests has grown within celebrities and even peer leaders from other states such as Edo, Rivers and Cross River.

“We really hope we are able to continually raise the funds to remain consistent,” said Bazuaye.

Nigerian youth make up over half the population of the country, it has been made clear by some politicians and business moguls that the youth population is an under-utilised resource.