Nigerian youths and women have been charged to register as members of political parties of their choice to enable them vie for elective offices in the next polls.
Student leader of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi, Mohammed Nasir Umar, and women group leader, Hannatu Ephraim, who spoke yesterday at a conference tagged “Bauchi Youths political Hot spots” organised by Leadtots and Human Development Services, gave the charge.
According to them, registering with political parties is necessary, considering that these are the only platforms through which the youths and women who are marginalised politically in the nation could run for elective positions.
While decrying that youths and women were only being used by politicians during campaigns, elections and dumped at the end of it, the student leader, urged parties to organise development programmes for youths and women within the state in order to enhance their leadership capacities and governance skills rather than engaging themas thugs.
“If youths and women would be informed of the right and importance ofbeing registered members of a political party, the principle of equalrights of men and women as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution Article 42 that guarantees right to freedom from discrimination on the grounds of age or sex, will not beneglected,” he said.
Assistant programme officer of the NGO, Mrs Anna Sanusi, explained that Leadtots is a human development company facilitating diverse range of coaching and other forms of human development services for young people and professionals.
