The Youth Wing of the All Progressives Congress has called on the National Working Committee of the party to initiate reforms that would encourage youth inclusiveness in politics.
According to the communique issued at the end of it’s one day Progressives Youth Conference and signed by the National Youth Leader, Barrister Isameel Ahmed, they called on the stakeholders in the party to create opportunities for the Youths in the ruling party to secure seats for elective and party offices.
The Youths in the APC suggested to the party leadership to “fix the age of 35 or below for all councillors seats to be contested for under the party, except where such person does not exist or does not have the requisite qualification.”
It equally suggested that “Young people under the age of 45 should be encouraged and supported by the party to hold Chairmanship seats at the Local Government Council level in all the states of the federation.
“The State Houses of Assembly seats should be pegged at 45 as well to infuse energy and direction at the state legislature.”
Ahead of its national convention the communique, demanded that “At the Party level, young men and women should be encouraged and be given preference to run for every office especially those of deputies should be set aside for youths and women only, perhaps with the exception of the Office of Deputy Chairmen which shall be opened to everyone.”
The APC Youth Forum maintained that the energy of youths in the country, if well harnessed could stimulate economic development for the country.
The communique further noted that alienation of the vibrant and energetic youths instigated the recent EndSARS Protests across the country.
“Rising from a One-Day Conference of Progressive Youths organized by the All Progressives Congress, the speakers, discussants and delegates reached a Consensus on deepening social, political and economic participation of the young people through inclusion and deliberate mainstreaming of progressives ideas and ethos that creates opportunities for young people as defined by the laws and convention of the All Progressives Congress.
“The conference also recognizes that Nigeria is a young country with more than 70% of its population below the age of 50 years. And that youthfulness fuels huge energy capable of delivering sustainable prosperity to the over 200 million Nigerians if well harnessed and rightly targeted.
“Consequently, in actually promoting the values of Progressivism, it is in the strategic advantage of the Progressive Party and indeed the country to create room for upward mobility of young people in all the spheres of human endeavour mentioned in this document.
Submissions also highlighted that conversely the energy if wrongly channelled can lead to a disaster capable of undermining the peace, security, and stability of the nation, citing the recent happenings and restiveness within the polity.
“The damage and havoc that came along with the #EndSARS protest across the nation were referenced significantly and the need to create a real political shift in Nigeria and set the tone that accentuates the ongoing efforts of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to attract younger Nigerians into the party and build into the future a sustainable political structure that is trans-generational.”
