.Says APC is govt of old generation of Nigerians
12 govs, ex-Speakers Bankole, Dogara make APC strategy c’mttee
Obinna Chukwu, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has promised to give the youths a preferential treatment in its elective and appointive positions in the 2023 general elections.
The party also called on the youths to shun the All Progressives Congress, APC which it said has favoured the older generation in its government to the detriment of millions of Nigerian youths.
Speaking at a two day summit for the PDP National Conference of Zonal and States Youth Leaders, held on Monday in Abuja, National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus said Nigerian youths are the catalyst of PDP and that the party plans deliberately to involve the youths in all its plans ahead of 2023.
He said, “We are going to give preferencial treatment to the youths especially the youths that will be seeking for elective offices.
“The women have been agitating for a very long time and they have secured 35% and the same thing will be applicable to the youths both in elective and appointive positions. The PDP is now rebounded party that is coming with vibrant youths who are creative, youths who are innovative, youths who have capacity to deliver, hard working youths of Nigeria. They are also dedicated and committed, that is the PDP youths.
“In the E-regisration that we want to embark on, and this government of the PDP that is coming will be youth and women based because we have discovered that the energy of the youths.
“Let me remind you, in the first republic, virtually all the leaders at that time, those who got independent from the British government were all youths.
“The great Zik of Africa, he was a youth, M.T Mbu was the minister of external affairs at the age of 21, he was a youth. So you must come out now to play a major role to recover this country and rescue our nation from the hands of a wicked party.
“This is the finest opportunity for you at this conference to exercise your intellect, your brain and come out with a way forward for our country.
“The future of our country lies in the hands of the youth, it can’t be otherwise. You are aware that the APC is a conglamorate of the old generation you can see them, 80years, 90 years they are still in government, when will the youth take over and the world has gone digital, it’s no longer analogue. By now all the transactions in government should be online but we are still operating as the colonial government handed over to us. This is not acceptable, this must change and it is only the youths that can effect this change. We can no longer mortgage the future of the youths because that is exactly what the APC has done.
“You must not be initimadated, most of your are Ph.D holders some of you are very brilliant lawyers, graduates of various disciplines. So you are emminently qualified to be governors, to be ministers, president and so you must get yourselves prepared in this conference.”
Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, sqid the objective and theme of the national conference “Strategizing for Massive Mobilization in Politics and Governance” is not only germane but incontrovertibly apt in providing the much-needed answers and direction for the desired space for greater youth participation, not only in political activities but also for political leadership and governance.
He said, “Sadly, since the last six years, under the current administration, the Nigerian youth have suffered the most dehumanizing neglect and relegation by the same set of people who exploited and used them to achieve political power.
“Everywhere you turn, you see stark hopelessness, dashed dreams, wasting talents misery, confusion, anger, poverty, disease, hunger, starvation, homelessness, illiteracy and bare-faced despondency ravaging our youthful population, with no hope in sight under the prevailing dispensation.”
The National Youth Leader, Comrade SKE Ude-Okoye while charging the youths said, “we are not going to tell the children who lost their father to the maladministration of the APC what to do to this government during the next elections.”
