Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has called on the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) , to increase the membership drive from 40 million to 100million .
This is as he called on the leadership and stakeholders of the party, to give more room for youths involvement in governance .
Lawan made the calls in Abuja Thursday while granting audience to APC Progressive Youths National Lobby Committee led its Chairman, Barrister Ismail Ahmed.
According to him , though the 40million members registered by the party in the last membership revalidation and re – registration exercise , is good but not good enough.
“Many Nigerians on account of impressive performance of the party at the centre and the various states under it within the last six years , want to join the party but couldn’t do so in the last exercise due to inadequate publicity of the exercise.
“The party leadership and stakeholders across the various age brackets , need to do more . I am not satisfied with the 40 million that have registered.
“More works in terms of mobilisation and galvanisation of interested Nigerians , need to be done to increase the figure from 40million to 100million before the 2023 general elections,” he said .
On youths inclusiveness in the leadership of the party and governance, Lawan noted that Nigeria will gain a lot when that is done by the ruling party.
His position was hinged on the fact that the youth have creative energy and number, and that they form a critical mass when it comes to political victory.
The APC in recognition of this fact has therefore paved way for the youth in the recently concluded ward congresses by set an age cap for youth leaders to be a maximum of 40 years.
The Senate President believe that this is a good move and will greatly aid the rebranding of the APC as a youth-centric party and ultimately benefit the country as more progressive and creative ideas that can transform the country will be reflected across board.
Earlier in his presentation, the leader of the delegation and the youth representative in the APC Caretaker and Convention Planning Committee Barrister Ismael Ahmed noted that the APC progressives youth is engaging all the critical stakeholders for the purpose of achieving a strategic mainstreaming of the youth in the leadership of the APC and the governance structure of the nation.
Ismael noted that the youth are appreciative of the age cap for youth leaders which to some extent was achieved in the ward congresses but that it will be even more beneficial for the APC to have a critical representation that is youthful.
He cited the opportunity that the APC will have if the Publicity Secretary and Organizing Secretary in addition to the Youth Leader young people not more than 45 years across board.
He clamoured for establishment of an institute in the party in the mode of Progressives Youth Institute which according to him, shall be for the purpose of training and nurturing young Nigerians and instilling in them Progressives ideals and ideology.
This he believes shall significantly improve governance outcomes and develop a good number of future leaders.
