The 2023 Nigerian general election was heralded as a watershed moment for youth political participation. For the first time in a generation, millions of young Nigerians—many of whom had been politically apathetic—mobilized behind a single candidate, Peter Obi of the Labour Party. The “Obidient” movement, a grassroots, social-media-fueled phenomenon, promised to disrupt the established two-party system and usher in an era of good governance. A year and a half later, the dust has settled, the electoral petitions have been dismissed, and a sense of profound disillusionment has taken hold. So, where are the youth voters now?

The birth of the Obidient movement was a powerful confluence of factors. It was born from the ashes of the #EndSARS protests, which had awakened a new generation to its collective power. Young Nigerians were fed up with the status quo—crippling unemployment, soaring inflation, and a political elite they saw as out of touch and corrupt. Peter Obi, with his message of fiscal prudence and a break from the old guard, offered a compelling alternative.

The movement was decentralized, funded by small donations, and powered by social media platforms like Twitter and WhatsApp. It bypassed traditional political structures, creating a direct connection between the candidate and his young, tech-savvy base. The energy was palpable. They organized “one-million-man” marches in cities across the country, registered to vote in unprecedented numbers, and used online tools to fact-check, campaign, and monitor results. It was a digital revolution that spilled onto the streets, and it gave millions of young people a taste of what political hope could feel like.

The electoral results, however, were a devastating blow. Despite the widespread enthusiasm, Peter Obi came in third, and the youth’s candidate for change was defeated. For many, the outcome was not just a loss but a betrayal of the democratic process itself. Allegations of electoral irregularities, voter intimidation, and institutional deceit, particularly regarding the failure to upload results in real-time, fueled a deep sense of injustice.

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“The election was a sham,” said Favour Anyim, a young voter and activist who had campaigned tirelessly for Obi. This sentiment of a stolen mandate became a rallying cry for the disillusioned. The dream of a “New Nigeria” was deferred, replaced by a feeling of helplessness and a renewed distrust in the system. The promise that their votes would count, which had motivated so many, felt broken.

Today, the youthful energy that once defined the Obidient movement has fractured and evolved. For some, the initial disillusionment has curdled into a desire to leave the country. The term “japa” (a Nigerian slang for “to flee”) has become more than just a word—it’s a concrete life plan for a growing number of young people who feel they have no future in Nigeria. The election outcome became the final push for many who had been on the fence, convincing them that the system was unchangeable.

For others, the activism has not died but simply shifted its focus. The centralized, candidate-driven movement has dissolved into a more fragmented, community-oriented form of engagement. Some have channeled their energy into local politics, recognizing that change might be more achievable at the grassroots level. Others have focused on issue-based advocacy, continuing to use their social media platforms to hold the government accountable on matters of governance, economic policy, and human rights.

The movement’s legacy is complex. While it failed to secure a presidential victory, it proved that young Nigerians are not apathetic. They are a powerful political force, capable of mass mobilization and sophisticated digital organizing. The 2023 election may have ended in defeat for the Obidients, but it marked the beginning of a new chapter in Nigerian youth politics—one defined not by a single candidate, but by a collective memory of hope and a persistent, albeit quieter, desire for a better future. The question now is whether this new wave of decentralized activism can be sustained and whether it will ultimately lead to the change they so desperately seek.