- …as party unveils RUN movement
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and youth advocates on Wednesday charged young Nigerians to take greater responsibility in governance and nation-building ahead of the 2027 elections, arguing that decades of poor leadership had pushed the country into deep economic and social decline.
The call was made during the unveiling of the Rise Up Naija (RUN) movement in Abuja, where party leaders, youth mobilisers and political stakeholders said Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, unemployment, poverty and governance crisis demanded a new generation of politically conscious citizens willing to drive change.
They stressed the need for ethical leadership, issue-based politics and active youth participation, insisting that the country’s future would depend largely on whether younger Nigerians were prepared to move beyond complaints and engage directly in reshaping governance and political culture.
A chieftain of the ADC, Kashim Imam, blamed the current state of the country on leadership failure, admitting that his generation had failed younger Nigerians.
“My generation of leaders has failed Nigeria. I’m ashamed of my generation,” Imam said.
He noted that despite Nigeria’s vast human and natural resources, irresponsible leadership had prevented the country from reaching its potential.
“This country is blessed. God has blessed this country with every resource that is needed for every Nigerian to live a comfortable life.
“What is the problem? Irresponsible leaders. That is our major problem as a nation,” he said.
Imam said the ADC was attempting to build a political alternative anchored on accountability, inclusion and service, stressing that anyone seeking office on the platform of the party must commit to a different style of leadership.
“You must commit to ending the corruption, the crime that has been the root of our problems in this country. We must do things differently,” he said.
Urging younger Nigerians to seize the political initiative from older politicians whom he accused of failing the country, he said, “I’m also happy that the youths of our party have taken it upon themselves to seize the initiative from we older ones because the older generation in this country, we failed Nigerians.
“We failed the youths. We are bad role models”.
ADC National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Bolaji Abdullahi, said Nigeria’s present challenges were consequences of years of poor political culture and weak ethical standards among political leaders.
“Nigeria is in the mess we are in today because of the kind of politics we have played over the years. And if we are going to get out of it, it will also depend on the kind of politics we play going forward,” he said.
He argued that the political class had failed to build a credible successor generation and had instead damaged public trust in politics.
“We’ve allowed politics to be given a bad name such that when you are a politician, people begin to look at you suspiciously.
“I actually want to think that armed robbers think they are more honourable than politicians,” the NOS noted.
Abdullahi, however, said the ADC intended to pursue a political model rooted in ethics, dialogue and egalitarian principles, adding, “This party, the African Democratic Congress, represents the future of politics in Nigeria.
“It’s the only party built on the philosophy of egalitarianism,” he said.
He also challenged youths not to see age as a qualification for leadership, “Age is not a credential. Birth certificate is not a credential. It is the work we do going forward that will determine our place in the history of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.
Former ADC National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, said young Nigerians had consistently driven many of the country’s achievements in sectors such as music, education, arts and innovation, and should now channel the same energy into politics and governance.
“The young people have always lifted Nigeria. So now that you’ve decided to come to the top stage and get yourself involved in politics, I believe that you’re going to do a great job in lifting Nigeria again,” he said.
Nwosu acknowledged that political participation would come with challenges but urged young Nigerians to remain focused and resilient.
Earlier, Convener of the Rise Up Naija Movement, Aliyu Audu, described the initiative as a citizens’ movement aimed at promoting accountability, national unity and active civic participation.
According to him, the movement seeks to mobilise young Nigerians, professionals, entrepreneurs, women and community leaders around values of competence, patriotism and integrity.
“We believe governance must move beyond empty promises to measurable progress. Beyond slogans to solutions. Beyond division to unity. Beyond politics for power to politics for people,” Audu stated.
He added that the movement would focus on reconnecting citizens to governance and encouraging broader participation in public affairs.
“The future of Nigeria will not build itself. It will be built by Nigerians who are willing to stand up, speak up, organise, participate and lead,” he said.
Also speaking, Iwunze Chizaram Desire said RUN was designed as a grassroots and digital mobilisation platform aimed at promoting accountable leadership and citizen-driven governance.
According to her, the movement intends to work through the ADC coalition ahead of the 2027 elections and beyond while promoting transparency, accountability and service-oriented leadership.
“RUN aims to move Nigerians from bad governance into accountability, from insecurity into safety and from unemployment into opportunities,” she said.
