On this Democracy Day, I had intended to rest my pen. I wanted to leave the fate written on the walls of history to speak for itself. I thought perhaps the sacrifices of those who fought for democracy were enough testimony. Yet, in the final hour, a thought stirred within me, compelling me to write a message to all of us who have come together to form this sovereign nation called Nigeria. My message is particularly for those who believe that the business of Nigeria lies in the hands of a powerful few. Perhaps they are influenced by what the German sociologist Robert Michels described as the "Iron Law of Oligarchy" ,the tendency for power to concentrate in the hands of a small elite. Looking at our politics, our institutions, and our economy, one may be tempted to believe that the destiny of Nigeria is determined only by those who occupy powerful offices and influential positions. But history tells a different story. Nigeria does not belong to any president, governor, politi...
....democracy does not remember the noisemakers
Every June 12 reminds us that democracy is not inherited, it is built, brick by brick, with sweat, strategy, and sacrifice. Yet in today’s Nigeria, many young leaders have chosen to flirt with activism rather than marry the mission. They romance hashtags, repost resistance, and occasionally protest, but refuse to build or sustain meaningful structures that can outlive them.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, young people are not just tweeting change, they're engineering it.
Take, for instance, the new generation of young conservatives and progressives in the United Kingdom. Kemi Badenoch, elected to Parliament at 36, didn’t emerge from a hashtag. She came through ideological training, grassroots mobilization, and a clear sense of political mission. Tom Tugendhat, who served in the House of Commons and ran for Conservative leadership in his 40s, had a structured vision and path. In France, Jordan Bardella became president of the National Rally at 27. These are not perfect people, but they reflect one truth: organizing, not just outrage is what births power.
In Nigeria, however, many of our so-called young elites are still trapped in the illusion of urban power, a mix of “cash-and-carry” politics, PR stunts, and performative activism. They deploy their generation for optics, not for outcomes.
Some of these leaders were on the frontlines of protests against Goodluck Jonathan. Then they turned on Buhari. Now they protest Tinubu. Same scripts, recycled rage. The question is: what has been built? What ideology do they serve? What structure have they designed that can challenge the system sustainably?
They complain about corrupt elders but replicate the same rot, flaunting stolen wealth, mocking their peers with champagne-soaked “mentorship,” and hosting empowerment programs that are more about self-promotion than people development.
Worse, some descend into seductive apathy, choosing to entice fellow youths into soft alliances of consumption and compliance. Instead of awakening a generation, they distract it.
This is not to say resistance doesn’t matter. It does. But without organization, resistance becomes a performance. Without structure, even the most genuine protests die in the wind.
It’s time young Nigerians stopped outsourcing power and started preparing for it. Build parties. Establish missions. Design think-tanks. Engage institutions. Teach. Train. Stand.
If not, they’ll soon discover that democracy does not remember the noisemakers. It remembers the builders.
Abioye Tosin Lawrence is a writer, Campaigner Hate-Against-Nigeria.
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