Text of the Speech of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu to mark 2026 Democracy Day in Nigeria

2026 DEMOCRACY DAY SPEECH

Theme: Youth Building a Sustainable Democracy: The Time Is Now

Though we have always been described as the leaders of tomorrow, the promise of our nation’s survival rests on our shoulders.

Protocols.

Distinguished leaders, organizers of Youth in Politics, fellow patriots, and, most importantly, the young men and women upon whose shoulders rests the promise of our nation, I greet you all.

Today, as we commemorate Democracy Day, we do more than remember history; we renew our covenant with the future.
We honour the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom and democratic rule. Their struggle reminds us that democracy is not merely about elections or struggle for power; democracy is about dignity, justice, rule of law, equal opportunities, and the right of every citizen to dream and to become.

And so, I stand before you today with a message of hope and conviction:
The time is now. Not tomorrow. Not someday. Not when conditions become perfect. The time is now.

There comes a moment in the life of every nation when a generation must decide whether it will merely read history, inherit history or whether it will make history. My fellow young Nigerians, that moment has arrived.

History has placed before us a sacred responsibility—not simply to complain about Nigeria, but to rebuild her; not merely to criticize democracy, but to strengthen it; not merely to demand change, but to become the agents of that change. For democracy is not sustained by constitutions alone. It is sustained by citizens, values, courage, and above all, it is sustained by hope.

I have always believed that the greatest resource of Nigeria is not beneath our soil, not oil, not gas, but within our people. Our greatest resource is the boundless energy, creativity, and resilience of Nigerian youths. Yet has remained untapped. Yet, a painful contradiction confronts us. We have a young population, but too many young people feel excluded. We have talent, but too many dreams remain unrealized. We have democracy, but too many citizens have lost faith in its ability to improve their lives.

But I say to you today: Never allow disappointment to become despair or (Hopelessness). Because nations rise when their people refuse to surrender hope. As Nelson Mandela once reminded the world, “It always seems impossible until it is done.”

And I say to my generation: Nigeria is not a hopeless nation. Nigeria is an unfinished project. And unfinished projects can be completed. Let us mobilized back to site.The responsibility of building a sustainable democracy belongs to all of us, but especially to the youth.Not because you are the leaders of tomorrow. But because leadership delayed is leadership denied.

The world will not wait for us, History will not wait for us, and the future will not wait for us. Young people must therefore move from the sidelines to the center of nation-building.
We must replace apathy with participation. We must replace pessimism with social responsibility.
We must replace anger with action, and we must replace division with unity.
Because no nation can rise when its people are pulling in different directions.
Our generation must reject the politics of tribe over truth. We must reject the politics of religion over reason.
We must reject the politics of hate over hope. For our destiny is greater than our differences.

And let us never forget this timeless truth: A nation does not become great because of the wealth it possesses; it becomes great because of the values it upholds.

Therefore, integrity must matter again, service must matter again, competence must matter again, and character must matter again.

My dear young brothers and sisters, democracy does not ask us to be spectators.

Democracy calls us to be inclusive builders.Builders of institutions. Builders of ideas. Builders of peace.
Builders of prosperity. Builders of a nation where every child can dream without fear and every citizen can live with dignity.

From the look of things, the future we seek will not be handed to us, we must build it; brick by brick, policy by policy, and most importantly by voting rightly.
And so, let this Democracy Day mark the beginning of a new national awakening. Let it be said that when Nigeria stood at a crossroads, her young people rose. Let it be said that when others doubted, we believed. When others complained, we acted. When others divided, we united. And when history called, we answered.
For I believe with all my heart that the best chapters of Nigeria’s story have not yet been written. They are waiting to be written by a generation that believes. A generation that serves. A generation that leads. A generation that understands that democracy is not inherited; it is built. And so I leave you with these words:
The future does not belong to those who wait. The future belongs to those who prepare, to those who are ready to dare, and to those who are ready to build.

My fellow Nigerians,
Let us dare together.
Let us build together.
And let us prove to the world that the Giant of Africa shall rise again.
For the time is now, and the future is now.

May God bless you.
May God bless our democracy.
And may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you.

Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, Presidential Candidate, Labour Party