Former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has appealed to Nigerian youths to take the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise seriously, cautioning that indifference during elections undermines democracy and slows national progress.
Saraki, in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, expressed concern over the poor voter turnout recorded during the 2023 general elections, where only 26.7 per cent of the 93.4 million registered voters participated.
He observed that such low participation represented the absence of a vital demographic in the decision-making process, stressing that “silence does not build nations.”
The former Senate President reminded young Nigerians that nearly 40 per cent of registered voters ahead of the 2023 polls were aged between 18 and 34, yet their involvement remained minimal. He noted that the 2025 general elections provide a fresh chance for youths to reverse the trend.
Underscoring the weight of civic duty, Saraki declared: “Your vote is your voice. We must never outsource our responsibility to others.”
He also appealed directly to residents of Kwara, his home state, to treat participation as a responsibility necessary for preserving unity. According to him: “In Kwara, the State of Harmony, the call is even clearer. Harmony survives only when everyone plays their part. Whether young or old, in town or village, every registration strengthens our common voice, and every vote reinforces our shared destiny.”
