Youths leaders in the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Monday cautioned the leadership of the party not to bow to pressure to shift the date of the national convention scheduled to hold in February, 2022.
Some youth leaders under the auspices of APC Southwest Youth Leaders also advocated the need for the party to consider and allow them to occupy major positions during the national convention.
Addressing journalists at the APC state secretariat in Akure, the Acting Southwest Youth leader, Kolade Lawal said “We the youths of the APC in the southwest states are already looking fowvard to February for the conduct of the national convention.
“We are upbeat and are already mobilizing massively ahead of the convention.
“We are confident that our national leaders, being men of honour, will allow the party stick to its own promise and let our word be our bond.
“We ask the party leadership not to listen, let alone accede, to the cacophony of sponsored suggestions in some quarters that the February 2022 date be still pushed forward to a later date.
“The people making this dangerous suggestion are familiar retrogressive voices who do not mean well for our party. They and their suggestions should be thrashed in the dustbin of history.
“Instead, we urge the party leadership to remain steadfast on the choice of February as the definite date for the conduct of the convention. Anything short of this is not good for the party.
“For sure and certain, the next national convention is make or mar for the APC. Whether the APC will continue to remain united, indissoluble, big and strong is firmly predicated on the kind and quality of decision our leaders take at the convention in February.
“Our leaders should therefore be careful not to play cheaply into the hands of some doomsday prophets who have wildly predicted the end of our party in a short-while.
“But is it enough to just pray and wait? The answer for us is a resounding NO; and, to this end, we, the youths of the party in the southwest have resolved as follows:
(a) The party should not compromise on the kind and calibre of persons who should aspire for leadership positions in the party’s forthcoming convention.
(b) Only sound and competent members of the party, with requisite experience, should be allowed to take over the leadership of the APC at the national level.
(c) Young and vibrant party members should be allowed to take up strategic leadership positions in the forthcoming convention.
d) The party should use this convention to give life to the leadership aspirations of Nigerian youths which President Muhammadu Buhari blessed in 2018 with his assent to the Not-Too-Young-to-run Bill. We owe President Buhari the moral duty of sustaining his laudable legacy in this regard.
“The party should look into the pool of youthful aspirants from among those contesting for key positions, such as National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman, National Secretary, National Organizing Secretary, Zonal Vice Chairmen, National Youth Leader, National Woman Leader, etc., and assist competent ones amongst them to victory; for them to lead the party to victory in 2023 and beyond.
“That the party should remember that youths are presently performing wonders in the private sector and other spheres of life, despite daunting challenges, and so consider competent youthful members that are not above 50 years for membership of the new National Working Committee.”
