Political scientists have rejected proposals for reserved legislative seats for women and young people, stressing rather the need to address the underlying structural barriers to their political participation as a more lasting route to democratic inclusion before the 2027 general elections.

Their views during a seminar organised by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation for Peace and Development, in collaboration with the Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Abuja, followed a paper presentation by Prof. Samson Adeniji.

Speaking on the theme, “Preparing University Youth for Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections: Civic Engagement, Electoral Integrity and Democratic Leadership,” Adeniji highlighted the persistent under-representation of young people in political leadership despite their growing involvement in civic engagement, election observation and digital activism.

Adeniji observed that though the ‘Not Too Young To Run Act’ lowered the constitutional age requirements for elective offices, legal reforms alone have not translated into greater youth representation because of the financial and political obstacles.

He further identified poverty, unemployment, electoral violence and elite domination of political parties as additional factors discouraging young Nigerians from seeking political office.

For his part, a panellist, Dr Navuluz Sulyman, dismissed the proposed seat reservation for elected offices, arguing that the challenge confronting Nigerian youths is not the absence of opportunities but unequal access to the political process.

He maintained that reserving seats for young people is contrary to the principles of liberal democracy, which emphasises open political competition based on merit, competence and popular support. Instead, he urged the youth to leverage their demographic strength by registering to vote, joining political parties, building political structures and actively competing for elective offices.

Nevertheless, he stated that more urgent reforms should focus on removing the financial and institutional barriers that prevent young people from effective participation, such as the high cost of nomination forms, expensive election campaigns, political godfatherism and weak internal democracy within political parties, among others.

They further recommended increased civic education and political awareness programmes to equip young people with the knowledge, organisational skills and the necessary networks to compete successfully in politics.

Beyond women and youth participation, the conference linked inclusive governance to democratic consolidation, stressing that political systems become stronger when leadership reflects society’s diversity, adding that an environment for fair, merit-based electoral contest will contribute more meaningfully to democratic governance.

Meanwhile, the Project Manager of Rosa Luxemburg Foundation West Africa, Mrs Angela Odah, noted that as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, young people, who constitute most of the country’s population, have a vital role to play in promoting credible and democratic elections.