If the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not present its consensus candidate for the position of vice president, who it said must be less than 50 years old, the Coalition of Northern Youth Leaders (CNYL) has threatened to cause a political backlash.
The coalition’s President, Mallam Suleiman Musa, and Secretary, Comr. Yahaya Ibrahim, made the observation during a press conference on Monday in Abuja. They noted that despite the administration of Muhammadu Buhari facing formidable obstacles, organised youth organisations, led by the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), remained loyal to the ruling party and supported its policies, much to the chagrin of critics and the opposition.
In the course of this partnership, it organised youth organisations, formed bonds with the party, and expressed expectations of their reciprocity, especially in light of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ongoing pledge that the country’s leadership would be disposed in favour of the youth and that their inclusion in governance would not be negotiable.
“We are aware that this promise won’t come to pass automatically, so the youth have kept up their efforts and maintained their positions in the hope of reaching a mutually agreed-upon starting point.
And after observing how other political parties handled their business without taking into account the opinions of young people, the organised youth group activated its political relationship and alignment with the APC and consequently demanded the presidential ticket. However, our formidable leader, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, won the ticket in a democratic election that was open to all. We congratulate him once more and wholeheartedly accept that result.
But the younger generation insists that the vice presidential candidate should be under 50 years old. We also sent the name of Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda (El Dabi) to the APC for consideration and adoption in order to prevent any choice confusion. Furthermore, there are no questions about Dr. Dauda’s qualifications or abilities because of his flawless capacity, readiness, and credentials. We hope the APC will accede to the youth’s demands, the coalition said.
The youth partnership with the APC appears to be under attack from interests who believe it should have been them, CNYL questioned. It will be politically disastrous, we dare say, as many youth and youth organisations might be forced to shift their allegiance.
The coalition has observed that the National Chairman is an elderly man. Despite the fact that we have a lot of respect for them, our candidate is also an old man. However, we hasten to point out that appointing El Dabi, a young man who just turned 50, to this important position will have a significant influence on the subsequent administration.
