Ahead of national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a group known as APC South-south Youth Assembly (ASSYA) has called on the caretaker committee led by governor Mai Mala Buni, to zone the office of the National Youth Leader to the South-south.
The group said the position has remained in the North since the creation of APC, hence the need to take it to the South, especially the South-south.
APC South-south Youth Assembly is a registered support group with network of youth organizations based in the South – south region of Nigeria.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday, signed by the group’s Board of Trustees’ chairman Hon. Chinadu Egbenumolise, called on the entire members of APC to remain resolute, committed and rally round the caretaker committee in their task of repositioning the party for sure victory in the coming Edo and Ondo elections, as well as a successful extra ordinary national convention.
“We recall that since formation of the party over seven years ago, the leadership of the youth wing of the party has been occupied by persons from the Northern part of the country such as Lado Suleja (interim), Ibrahim Waziri Jalo, Sadiq Abubakar and Ibrahim Ismaeel (caretaker). While we have no issues with these very eminent gentlemen, we urge that this is the opportunity to zone this all-important youth position to the south, especially the south – south to enable the grand and timely mobilization of youths across the country in preparation for the 2023 epic elections.
Egbenumolise said: “We equally ask for the support of all and sundry for the APC led Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari in its drive to transform the nation for the present and future generations of Nigeria.”
While commending the intervention of APC leaders, especially President Muhammadu Buhari in the recent crisis that rocked the party, the group: “We are glad to note that the party is back on its feet devoid of the daily squabbles and avalanche of court cases that bedeviled the party and threatened its very existence to the foundation.
“We are proud of our national leadership; President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, national assembly leadership, progressive governors, immediate past NWC members and teeming membership of the party across the country for their efforts at closing ranks and putting the interest of the party first ahead of other sub-interests.
“While welcoming on board the caretaker/extraordinary convention planning committee, we urge them to unite the party and to once again mobilize the members behind the great ideals that endeared the party to millions of Nigerians since formation in February 2013, which ensured sweet victories in most elections at state and national levels.
“The work of this very important committee requires swift action in the conduct of the coming convention, this includes a robust and acceptable zoning formula that will balance up all the zones in the running of critical party positions, especially in the light of the anticipated power shift from North to South.
“We at ASSYA are particularly interested in the revival of the youths participation in the activities of the party as it used to be in the early days where they enthusiastically embraced the party and demonstrated exciting vibrancy that portrayed the party as youth friendly, which contributed in no small measures to the electoral victories of 2015 and beyond.”
National Convention: South-south APC group demands youth leader’s position
