Abstract—Political participation involves voluntary and deliberate efforts by the members of a political system to determine the kinds of political institution and individuals that will govern them and equally influence the mobilization and allocation of the available societal resources. Over the years, youths in Nigeria participate actively in political party rallies and voting to elect their leaders and representatives in governance. This paper examines categories and nature of participation in politics as well as factors that drive youths into politics in Sokoto State. A survey conducted, through focus group discussions, interviews and questionnaire, in the six sampled Local Government of Sokoto State identifies three category of political participation; namely, active, moderate and apathetic participation. The findings reveal that 63.57% of respondents are apathetic to politics in the State and unemployed youth constitutes 34.74% of the entire responses. The paper establishes that lack of attainment of need (63.22%) is one of the reasons that make youths engage into participatory activities that encourage political thuggery and manipulation of electoral outcomes. The paper recommends that youths should be engaged into positive rational participatory activities that ensure inclusiveness and promotion of good governance in Nigeria. It is hoped that this will enlighten youths and policy implementers on the constructive strategies in controlling youths’ negative participation in politics in Nigeria. Keywords—Democracy, Governance, Inclusiveness, Participation and Politics. I. INTRODUCTION ODAY, Nigerian state is experiencing a versatile socio- political problems, which can be basically traced not only to the diversity of the country’s population, but also to the way and manner the population demonstrates its political participation in the polity. Since independence in 1960, the tasks of national integration and youth’s participation in politics have been tempestuous in Nigeria. Thus, participatory grievances had resulted into numerous political instabilities and disconnects of youths in the allocation of the available resources in the country. Starting from the thirty-month-long destructive Civil War (1970–76), to the environmental struggles and insurgency by youths in the Niger Delta Oil Producing region, to a more recent uprising by Boko Haram terrorist elements in the North-Eastern Nigeria, series of state instability and insecurity were caused by youth disconnects and improper political participation. The participatory trend has also induced in the country’s socio-political arena U. Ubandawaki is with the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arta and Social Sciences, Sokoto State University, P.M.B. 2134, Birnin Kebbi Road, Sokoto (phone: +2348053600989; e-mail umaruban84@gmail.com). centripetal attitudes of ethnic and religious indifferences, ethnic militia agitations, manipulation by elites and economic uncertainties and depression. However, in Sokoto State, many of the youth groups have been placed in vulnerable position due to problem of unemployment or under-employment. The youths are used by the political class for fraudulent and thuggery practice in their selfish political pursuit. This has raised concern by the parents and some policy makers for the government to take account of the impact of policies on various groups within the polity to ensure constructive inclusiveness for good governance and well-being of the entire society. It is against this background that the paper examines categories and nature of youth’s participation in politics in Sokoto State; analyzes factors that drive youths into politics in Sokoto State; and provide constructive strategies for controlling youth’s participation in politics in Nigeria. II. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The aim of this paper is to suggest strategies that will ensure control of youth in political participation in Sokoto state for inclusive and good governance in Nigeria. However, the paper has the following specific objectives: 1. To investigate the categories and nature of youths participation in politics in Sokoto State. 2. To examine factors that drive youths into politics in Sokoto State. 3. To provide constructive strategies for controlling youths participation in politics. III. METHODOLOGY The research used both primary and secondary methods of data collection. For the primary sources, focus group discussion, questionnaire and interview were adopted as instrument for retrieving information from youth groups and political and opinion leaders. In the course of the research, various textbooks, journal, newspapers, and other publications by government and non-governmental organization and institutions were consulted as secondary sources. The research used strategized random sampling to select six Local Governments out of the entire twenty-three Local Governments population of Sokoto State. In each Local Government one hundred questionnaires were distributed making a total number of six hundred questionnaire for the entire population. In the Sampling, two local governments were selected each from the three senatorial districts of the Controlling Youths Participation in Politics in Sokoto State: A Constructive Inclusiveness for Good Governance in Nigeria Umar Ubandawaki T World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology International Journal of Law and Political Sciences Vol:9, No:11, 2015 3979 International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 9(11) 2015 ISNI:0000000091950263 Open Science Index, Law and Political Sciences Vol:9, No:11, 2015 publications.waset.org/10003059/pdf