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The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) on Friday demanded that the All Progressives Congress (APC) should choose renowned academic-businessman and philanthropist, Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda, as the Vice Presidential Candidate of the party.

NYCN’s request is sequel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) North Central Zone Youth Leaders similarly urging the party to honour the declarations of the “Not Too Young To Run Act,” which President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law in May 2018, by nominating the foundation APC member from the President’s CPC to balance the ticket of the Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

NYCN, the country’s umbrella body for youth, said that Dauda’s choice would give APC robust mileage with Nigerian youths, who already feel alienated by other political parties that chose middle-aged and elderly candidates as their flag-bearers.

The resolution followed a Thursday all-night meeting of the NYCN National Executive Council that ended around noon on Friday in Abuja.

“Our meeting was convened to caution the APC against making the mistake other political parties have so far made by neglecting the youths in their selection process for offices at the state and federal levels,” the group said in its communiqué.

Signatory to the communiqué, NYCN National President, Comrade Solomon Adodo, stressed that youth would have a sense of belonging in Nigerian politics and governance with a competent representative like Dauda emerging as the Vice Presidential Candidate of APC from the Kanuri stock in Borno State.

The communiqué said furthermore: “We as the umbrella body of Nigerian youth nationwide insist that Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda (El-Dabi), a towering intellectual and administrator having the much needed experience and exposure, be given this opportunity to represent our generation in order to facilitate the much-needed changes our country earnestly desires.

“We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to remember his promise to the youth. He must recall previous commitments he made about the youth stepping into governance in Nigeria. And it is in this regard that we request that the party should pick a very young, capable and ready Running Mate to complete the partnership between the generations of political players, in order to be assured of the total support of the youth.

“We commend Mr. President for demonstrating uncommon leadership and statesmanship, by maintaining neutrality and upholding the finest principles of democracy, throughout the free and fair primary election. In doing so, His Excellency once again disappointed naysayers and negative political pundits who had speculated that he would anoint and impose a successor.

“His Excellency has always assured the youth that the reward for their support to your government and patriotism to their country is that you will ensure that they handle governance alongside the older generation. We believe you even now. And this is the time to demonstrate your noble resolve. It is in this regard that we request that you use your position as President of the country and the leader of  the Governing Party to cause your party to pick a very young, capable and ready Running Mate to partner the party’s candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This is to complete and complement the partnership between generations of political players and be assured of the total support of the youth for the APC.”

Represented at the Abuja meeting of APC youth leaders from the North Central geopolitical zone during the week were executives from Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Niger Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

In their resolution at the Abuja parley, they similarly fingered Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda as best fit for Tinubu’s Running Mate.

A statement the APC North-Central Zone Youth Leaders jointly signed said they recognised “Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda as an active member of the youth constituency; and we have no doubt that he will fit in to compliment the strength of the APC Presidential flag-bearer Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

We therefore jointly urge our great party leaders, elders and stakeholders to also endorse Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda.”

Pointing out that Buhari had been well-balanced with the youthfulness and vigour of Professor Yemi Osinbajo, they demanded that the party should replicate the equation in the Tinubu ticket even as consultations continued across board.

The statement also highlighted that Dauda had multifarious experiences in academia, business and philanthropy, as well as being from the North-Eastern geopolitical zone that had also never presented an occupant for Nigeria’s two topmost slots of President and Vice President.

According to the APC youth leaders, President Muhammadu Buhari had in assenting to the “Not Too Young To Run Bill (now Act)” promised to reciprocate the backing the youth gave his regime.

“As we gather here in Abuja at this epochal moment in our party’s history, we must remind Mr. President and the APC of this promise. They should live up to that promise and make the slot for our esteemed Presidential Candidate’s Running Mate an exclusive preserve of the youth as represented by Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda.”

COMRADE SOLOMON ADODO

National President National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)