Nigerian youths, comprising young professionals, students, and youth leaders across the country have come together under the group “Team Ribadu,” to support the presidential bid of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The team which has been meeting in the past four weeks plans to mobilise 10million Nigerian youths from various backgrounds and disciplines to participate in the forthcoming elections by registering to vote, voting, and defending their votes.

“2011 is the Year of the Nigerian Youth Voter,” the group said in a statement. “In 1993, IBB and his cabal annulled the popular will of Nigerians. Many of us were too young to vote then. But not anymore! We are conscious of the task that history has placed on our shoulders. If the task of our grandparents, many of whom were much younger than we are now, was to liberate our nation from the evils of colonialism, the task of our parents was to build a strong, prosperous, and united nation, an egalitarian society founded on the principle of social justice and freedom. Unfortunately, they failed woefully in that calling.”

According to the spokesman of the group, Sunday Ogidigo, “it is not enough to bemoan our situation or to perpetually play the blame game. We have the future of Nigeria literally in our hands. The question is: do we want to live the second half of the Nigerian century in darkness? The world is now electing young presidents with broader foreign policy perspectives, with notions and ideas of integrity, and above all with models of the future”.

Team Ribadu’s mission is to build a groundswell of motivated, committed and capable volunteers not only to ensure that the right leaders are voted into political office in 2011, but also to ensure that these leaders are held accountable for their promises once elected into office.

“We have looked at all the presidential aspirants, and no one but Nuhu Ribadu represents the aspiration of all Nigerian youths and indeed all Nigerians. Our quest is for a courageous, dynamic, progressive, de-tribalised and youthful leader to take this country out of its current abysmal state,” Mr. Ogidigbo said.

Unlike other platforms that seek to mobilise Nigerian youths with money and other forms of gratification, Team Ribadu is powered by the conviction that as young people, we can bring about the kind of change we desire in Nigeria.