2027: Don’t snatch ballot boxes for politicians, youths warned

The Marshal of the Royal Ambassadors of the Nigeria Baptist Convention, Bitebo Eregoba, has warned Nigerian youths against allowing politicians to recruit them for electoral violence, ballot-box snatching, voter intimidation and other electoral offences in the 2027 election.

Eregoba gave the warning on Wednesday at a briefing at the Baptist Church, Ibara, Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he announced plans to train more than 2,000 youths from across the country in leadership, character development and responsible citizenship at the organisation’s forthcoming National Leadership Training Conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He urged young people to reject inducements to engage in activities that could destroy their futures and undermine the country’s democratic process.

“There are people who will come to you with money and tell you to go and cause trouble on election day. They will tell you to snatch ballot boxes, to harass voters, to intimidate people and to foment violence. Do not accept it,” he cautioned.

He warned that politicians who sponsor electoral violence often escape the immediate consequences, leaving the youths they recruit to face arrest, prosecution, imprisonment and lasting damage to their reputations.

“If anything goes wrong, if a life is lost, if property is destroyed, the man who sent you will not be in the dock. He will be in his house, eating, while you sit in a cell,” he said.

Eregoba urged young Nigerians to shun political violence and protect their futures by refusing to be used as instruments of intimidation during elections.

He also appealed to churches, pastors and parents to remain vigilant and pay closer attention to young people’s activities, friendships and sources of income, particularly as the election season approaches.

“Know their friends, know who is calling them, know who is giving them money. A boy who leaves the house in the morning and returns at night with a new phone deserves a question, not a celebration,” he said.

The forthcoming National Leadership Training Conference, themed “Divine Companionship,” is expected to equip young men with the values, discipline and leadership skills needed to contribute meaningfully to national development while resisting social vices and electoral violence.

Eregoba explained that the annual conference would bring together Royal Ambassadors from across the country to train leaders, assess the organisation’s activities during the outgoing year, identify weaknesses, improve its methods and develop strategies for the year ahead.

The event is expected to feature former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Toluwade of Akinale, Oba Oluseyi Adediran, as special guests of honour.

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Eregoba described the Royal Ambassadors as a faith-based organisation committed to raising young men who know God, love the church, serve their communities and contribute to national development with integrity.

He said the association’s vision extended beyond religious gatherings to include practical interventions aimed at addressing the social and moral challenges confronting Nigerian youths.

“The Royal Ambassadors, as a missions and discipline organisation, has never seen itself as a club that meets on Sunday and disappears on Monday. We are raised to make disciples, and discipline is part of discipleship,” he said.

According to him, the association has established an Anti-Social Vices Club in the states where it operates, with coordination extending to the local government level, to tackle drug abuse, indiscipline and other harmful practices among young people.

Eregoba added that the organisation was working in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Nigeria Police Force, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the National Orientation Agency, school authorities, community leaders and civil society organisations.

He also said the association was committed to supporting vulnerable youths facing challenges such as poverty and unemployment, stressing that addressing their difficulties was essential to raising a responsible and productive generation.

Explaining the choice of this year’s theme, “Divine Companionship,” Eregoba said the association was concerned about the lack of adequate guidance and support available to many young Nigerians.

He noted that some young people were growing up without sufficient parental attention, while teachers and religious leaders were often overwhelmed by the demands of their responsibilities.

“The deepest problem facing a young person in Nigeria today is not poverty alone. It is not unemployment alone. It is not even bad leadership alone. It is that he is walking his journey alone,” he said.

Eregoba stressed that the conference would reinforce the importance of mentorship, spiritual guidance and supportive relationships in helping young people navigate the challenges of growing up.

He expressed appreciation to the Ogun Baptist Conference, under the leadership of Coun. Moses Okunola, for agreeing to host this year’s National Leadership Training Conference in Abeokuta.