The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has adopted the National Youth Democratic Party, (NYDP), to enable them drive the vision for a new Nigeria and come out victorious in the 2023 general elections.
Briefing Newsmen Saturday in Abuja, during the adoption, national chairman of ADC, Raph Nwosu, said the step was necessary because the NYDP’s mission is in line with his party’s mantra, adding that it was the best time for such transition to happen in the party.
He, however pledged 70% inclusion of women and youth in the electioneering process.
“2023 must be a defining moment and am happy that the youth are bracing up to it, I want to encourage you to be resilience and not to be intimidated to participate in electioneering.
“We signed this Memorandum of Understanding because we believe in the youth, you must work with the wisdom of the elders and the strength of the youth to achieve your set goals.
“I welcome you to the party, let today open your thoughts. I want your vision to be in the villa, at the National Assembly and at every state government offices.”
The National Chairman NYDP, Olayeriju David, told newsmen that the vision for a new Nigeria “is a shared one that requires collaboration, strategic alignment and alliances, synergy and our collective effort to achieve.
“For decades, Nigerians, especially the youths have been docile, indifferent and exhibited a strong lack of interest for politics because of the character of the actors that dominate the political arena. This apathy towards politics encouraged the elite/ruling class to organised themselves into a cult group, build walls around themselves and rule the country like it was their private estate.
“In their desperation to hold onto power, they deploy brute force against the citizens, exploited and impoverished the citizens, pillage and plunder the government treasury at an unprecedented level of impunity, harass, intimidate and brutalized especially the young people which crescendo in the #Endsars protest that held the country to it knees for two weeks before terror was unleashed on armless and nonviolent citizens simply demanding for a better society.
“They appropriate the instrument of religion, tribalism, cultural differences, unemployment and poverty to subdue, and divide our people thus, preventing the people from demanding accountability of their leaders. This has been successful until the #endsars protest devour the myth of tribalism, broke down the walls of religion, and awaken a sociopolitical consciousness among the Nigerian youths.
“That realization climax in the founding of NYDP immediately after the event of 20.10.2020. NYDP was conceived to be a registered political party that will promote, support and encourage the youths to actively engage in politics with the vision to rebuild our country.
The vision for a new Nigeria is a shared one that requires collaboration, strategic alignment and alliances, synergy and our collective effort to achieve.
“What we have witnessed today, the adoption of ADC or the marriage between ADC and NYDP is one among the thousand steps that young Nigerians are taking to engage in politics and governance in order to engender a new Nigeria.
“I have tried hard to resist the temptation to talk about the pathetic situation of Nigeria because much have been said about it, so much so that, it is now a very hot topic for academic discourses in many renown international universities.
Yet, fact remains that no matter the volume of academic discourse on the problem of Nigeria, the solution lies solely with the politicians and that is what has informed our being here today.
“We are here today to adopt ADC because ADC shares our culture and provides the vehicle that will enable us to collectively drive the vision for a new Nigeria.
So, it is explicit to say. We are here today because we believe in a vision of a new Nigeria. We are here today because we strongly believe that fixing Nigeria is not rocket science. We are here today because we believe we have what it takes to fix the following issues that continue to assail our country’s development.
“We believe that aligning with ADC will enable us participate in elections and form a government that will address the above identified challenges and deliver good governance to Nigerian.”
