The Marshal of the Royal Ambassadors of the Nigeria Baptist Convention, Bitebo Eregoba, has cautioned Nigerian youths against allowing politicians to use them to perpetrate electoral violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Eregoba warned young people against engaging in ballot-box snatching, voter intimidation and other electoral offences, stressing that such actions could have serious legal and personal consequences.
He gave the warning on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Baptist Church in Ibara, Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he unveiled plans to train more than 2,000 youths from different parts of the country at the organisation’s forthcoming National Leadership Training Conference.
He urged young Nigerians to resist financial inducements from politicians seeking to recruit them for disruptive activities during elections, noting that participation in electoral violence could jeopardise their future and undermine democracy.
“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.
The Baptist leader said young people often bear the consequences of violence sponsored by politicians, who may avoid prosecution while those recruited to carry out illegal activities face arrest, imprisonment and reputational damage.
“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 also called on churches, parents and religious leaders to pay greater attention to young people’s conduct and associations as the 2027 elections approach.
He encouraged parents and guardians to monitor their children’s friendships, movements and sources of income, particularly when they notice sudden changes in their spending or possessions.
“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 planned National Leadership Training Conference, which has the theme “Divine Companionship,” is designed to equip young men with leadership abilities, strong moral values and the discipline needed to contribute to national development.
The annual gathering will also provide an opportunity for Royal Ambassadors from across the country to review their activities over the outgoing year, identify areas requiring improvement and develop plans for the coming year.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Toluwade of Akinale, Oba Oluseyi Adediran, are expected to attend the conference as special guests of honour.
Eregoba described the Royal Ambassadors as a faith-based organisation dedicated to raising young men who are committed to God, the church, community service and national development.
He explained that the organisation’s activities extended beyond religious meetings to include practical efforts to address social and moral challenges affecting young people.
“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 Anti-Social Vices Clubs in states where it operates, with activities coordinated down to the local government level to tackle drug abuse, indiscipline and other harmful behaviours among youths.
He said the organisation was collaborating 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 groups to advance its objectives.
Eregoba added that the association was also committed to supporting vulnerable young people affected by poverty, unemployment and other difficulties, noting that addressing these challenges was important to building a responsible and productive generation.
Explaining the choice of the conference theme, he expressed concern that many young Nigerians lacked the guidance and support necessary to navigate the challenges of growing up.
He observed that some young people received insufficient attention from their parents, while teachers and religious leaders struggled to meet 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.
He stressed that the conference would highlight the importance of mentorship, spiritual guidance and supportive relationships in helping young people make responsible decisions and overcome the pressures confronting them.
Eregoba also commended the Ogun Baptist Conference, led by Coun. Moses Okunola, for agreeing to host this year’s National Leadership Training Conference in Abeokuta.
