the All Progressive Congress National Youth Leader Dayo Israel has assured citizens that the youths of the Party will not be used to snatch ballot boxes in the upcoming 2023 general election rather they’ll form the table of politically elected leaders in the country.
He made the disclosure at a press conference on Tuesday at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
Dayo said in an effort to ensure total inclusion of the youths the party instituted a high-level working group on youths to meet the party’s aspiration for adequate representation so as to boost accountability and good governance come 2023.
Since the All progressive Congress National Working Committee was elected on the 26th of March 2022, its mandate was to institute a high-level working group to enable the party to do things differently and promote the interest of the party.
The aim is to increase the number of young people as stipulated in the party’s constitution.
While speaking Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, All Progressives Congress said the working group’s commitment to galvanize effort from aspirants and very senior positions in order to drive the force of Mr. President in the next administration.
“And what we have done with the high-level working group is to bring together young people of our party who are in very senior positions like it wants to carry on with the efforts of the president on infrastructure to use their influence their powers and their connection and the absence to be able to pave way for all the young people in public office.
“To begin to engage policymakers and lobby for positions directly from the power brokers in the state, including governors of some state and all that power brokers to ensure that we can increase the participation of young people
“And so the purpose of this gathering is for them to give an account to the young people of Nigeria on the progress of that high-level working group, including the other committee that was recently created, which is the steering committee for the presidential engagement with all our aspirants which will now focus on the presidential candidate of our party, we want to be able to know what the candidate of our party that emerges from the primary would have for the youth of Nigeria.
“And so there are different activities that we have introduced in the youth wing. To ensure that we can begin to mainstream the voices of young people of our party and make sure that the use of this party is not taken for granted.
“We’re not going to be used for veterans’ electoral violence in this election, but we are going to get a seat at the table.
“The next edition of the FCC will be totally your friendly and our advocacy is to have 70% of the common administration in appointments and cabinet for young people either young men or young women.”
On his part, Chairman of the High-level Committee, Youth Wing APC, Ahmed Salihijo Ahmed while commending the leadership of the party for securing 50% youths opportunity for all young people aspiring for the 2023 electoral positions, adding the group under his watch will work with the top political class to achieve the desired result.
“We’re trying to come in to support him, so that we are able to work all as a group, mainstream all activities to ensure that young aspirants are going to come in and be extremely influential in this committee elections, not just that beyond we can adapt how have we been involved in the primary elections? How you’re going to be involved during the general elections, and now you’re going to also be involved after being elected to office.
“We have been able to engage a few governors. And we have all gotten a very, very firm commitment from these governors. Already. They have shown a lot of encouragement because once you look through their cabinet, you’ll find that a lot of the people that they are currently bringing into their cabinet.
“So far, we have seen a lot of very, very positive results. We have areas where we have our young aspirants who have been cleared to run as, state House of Assembly Members some house of representatives from Senate, some even governors have been given the green light, you know, and they’ve declared to run and we’re hoping that with this sort of push that we have, you know, as this high-level Group, we can get them over the primaries and support them. And another sort of commitment we’ve been getting from the state government so far is this affirmative action, where they look to see how they can continue the trend of bringing the young people.”
Also speaking hon. Ginika Tor, a member of the working group said they are making things differently from what has been perceived of the party, thus calling on all to join forces and promote the youth inclusive initiative fo
“We’re using this medium to reach out to every youth, to tell them that this office, especially APC. You can see the inclusion of women, youth, and persons with disability, and this is just different from what we’ve been experiencing so what we’re saying is, it’s time for us to put our heads together, come together, rally around each other and ensure youth inclusion.”
The All Progressive Congress is urging the young people to come out en-mass and embrace the opportunity of youth inclusion by logging on to its website www.young progressives.ng/2023elections.
However, the essence of the committee is also to look into fundraising for young people who have won the ticket of the party to ensure both technical, moral, and financial support.
