During the last general election, the country witnessed overwhelming zeal and commitment by citizens to take control of the leadership process through the ballot.

Using the social media platforms in multi-dimensional ways, the youths particularly engaged citizens that were already disillusioned towards political activities on the need for their involvement.

So, many Nigerians who had not voted in the past elections either because they were not up to the voting age and those who had attained voting age but chose not to invest time and energy in an exercise that would be manipulated at the end of the day, were encouraged to participate in the 2023 general elections.

Many people had given the credit of this political reawakening to the #EndSARS movement of 2020, which raised the consciousness of the fact that the masses possess the power to effect change in the country.

Although the movement may not have ended as expected, it nevertheless laid the foundation for the political awareness that played out in the build-up to the general elections, during the elections and post-election events.

Even the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results of the election timely and electronically as earlier promised could not deter Nigerians, who appeared to have woken from slumber from seeking an ideal society.

With the statement made by former President Muhammadu Buhari that aggrieved parties should go to court, the politically conscious youths equally shifted attention to the judiciary. The use of social media in propagating the “All Eyes On the Judiciary” slogan can equally not be easily dismissed.

Their desire to ensure that justice prevail in court resulted in an alleged blackmail and intimidation of judges. Regardless of personal views about the judgment that was delivered on September 6 by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, the fact that there is a new political order cannot be jettisoned.

The positive signal which resonated in every move was that the days of apathy were gradually giving way, and that people were fast becoming interested in transparent, free and credible polls. They may not have achieved that objective in the 2023 elections, there are indications that Nigeria is on the path to credible polls in no distant future.

According to a Communication Consultant and the Deputy Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, Baze University, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, such activities as #EndSARS, political consciousness and pressure on the judiciary were signs of changing times occasioned by information and communication technologies.

He said: “Times and things are changing. These are more reflected in technologies of communication, leading to democratisation and increased liberalisation of learning and pedagogy.

“The byproduct of this is a rise in the understanding and the internalisation of notions and processes, and the right and wrong sides of these phenomena.

“It is not unexpected that those growing into the changes will embrace them faster, in what could trigger revulsions with the wrong. It is an evolving social process that would continue to dovetail and snowball in the new times. Not surprising therefore that the youths are counted.”

On his views about the new political reawakening in the minds of the Nigerian youths, INEC’s unfulfilled promises on electronic transmission of results and the “All Eyes on the Judiciary” movement, which tend to put pressure on the judges, a board member of International Press Institute, Mr Raheem Adedoyin, expressed delight that the youths are getting mobilised and becoming involved in the electoral processes.

He noted that there was no taking away the credit that the judiciary demonstrated attention not only to details but to the sensibilities of Nigerians in the judgment delivered by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

According to Adedoyin, the 12 hours live telecast of the judgement eliminated any feelings of untoward happenings behind the scene. He said: “That came about because of the knowledge that all eyes were on them. So, the judges tried as much as possible to be transparent, and the best way they could have put up that transparency was by that live telecast. It was a master stroke from the youths and I commend them for that. It was very impactful.

“I always tell our youths that it is not everything that must be violence loaded. Their recent action was particularly rewarding because everybody bought into it, nobody was molesting, harassing or blocking any road, it was just a simple “All Eyes on the Judiciary” message. It worked because the judges took notice of it and acted accordingly.”

Speaking on the reaction of the youth towards the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to transmit results electronically and transparently, Adedoyin emphasised the need for youth’s education on electoral laws.

“The youth must first be educated; they thought there was a rule mandating electronically transmitted results but there wasn’t.

“They were working under the wrong notion that if INEC didn’t transmit the election result electronically, the results won’t stand. Maybe if they didn’t see it that way, there won’t be this type of political awakening that we saw because there is this perception that if the election is not transmitted electronically, it can’t be free and fair.

“I disagree with that because I voted and monitored my polling unit and ward, and it was free and fair but again, they met them halfway. They got mobilised, they must sustain it because you cannot throw away the child with the bath water.”

Adedoyin noted that though the youths did not get what they wanted at the end of the day, they have succeeded in establishing that they can be instruments of change. “Everybody was alarmed that the youths have become awakened,” he said.

Adding: “They should channel their energy in getting the National Assembly to make law towards electronic transmission of results because that is where the future lies.

“Their ways of reasoning are quite different from ours. They are easily mobilised through technology and they are saying they need technology to advance our interest. So, I do not see any reason anybody will say they don’t want to be technology driven. Adedoyin however admonished the youths to engage social media in a manner that it doesn’t bring adverse effects on their own campaign.

“Social media is where youths learn but they need to clinch it and prove to the older generation that they are using it for a better course and can be trusted because for now, I think charlatans have taken over the platform and they need to watch out.

“My advice to the youths is that they should re-enforce, relate more with their people who are not IT driven and those in the hinterlands so as to widen their base.

“While they consolidate their efforts in the social media, the political parties have to go to the villages where they have the uneducated voters, the youths should reach out to people in the villages too,” he advised.

On whether he thinks that the political consciousness, particularly among the youths had implications on the build-up to the election, during the election, post-election activities and the post-election legal matters, including the recent judgement by the PEPT, International Press Institute’s Nigeria President, Mr Musikilu Mojeed, said it was not the first-time judiciary used live telecast to deliver judgement.

He, however, admitted that the youth movement which started during the #EndSARS protest awakened the consciousness of the youths and brought out the organising spirit in them.

Mojeed added that Nigerian youths began to take keen interest in the affairs of the nation after the #EndSARS protest, which was successful for the fact that the police had to dismantle the old SARS and the government had to negotiate and set up panels of enquires to compensate the victims of the disbanded police unit.

“The youths did not only want police reform, they also wanted a reformed country and they brought that anger into the election and volunteered for a candidate they thought was more decent.

“Even though the man didn’t win, you could see he enjoyed an organic support. After he lost the election, the youths who were obviously angry put pressure on the judiciary through social media to deliver a just judgement. I will say that the #EndSARS movement has had a profound effect on the politics of Nigeria.

“Now, the judgement did not go in their way, and they believed there was a perceived robbing of justice, but still hoped the Supreme Court would fix the perceived injustice. They also believed the election was heavily rigged by INEC, the electronic transmission promised them did not take place and to worsen the situation, the court ruled that it was not mandatory,” he said.

On likely return to political apathy in subsequent elections, Mojeed cautioned against Nigerians being indifference to the affairs of the nation in future, stressing that people should not always expect things to go their way.

His words: “An election has been done; result declared. So, we need to stabilise our country for the future. What is important is for people to start organising early to see whether they can achieve their desires in the next election.

“There should be no apathy or breakdown of law and order. I am one of those who believe that despite the problems of the election, it wasn’t too bad because I have covered elections extensively and I know that the election could be more decent but if you compare it with previous ones, you will understand.

“When you talk about the judiciary, it all depends on the evidence you place before the court. They will base their decision on that. I think the people who lost the case did not do their homework very well. So, let us not heap the blame entirely on the judiciary.”

Concluding, Mojeed warned that there is a price for political apathy and as such, it should not be encouraged.

“If the youths can mobilise for the Presidential candidate of Peter Obi and achieve so much within six months, what do you think will happen if they start to mobilise now for the next election?

“If we choose apathy, people we don’t like continue to make decisions for us and we will only complain about it. The option is to remain active citizens of our country because if Nigeria slips into a coup, it will be terrible for all of us,” he declared.