Group wants APC to elect youth as next national chairman

Not Too Young To Perform (NTYTP), a leadership advocacy group, wants the All Progressives Congress (APC), to elect a young, incorruptible Nigerian as its next national chairman.

Mr James Ezema, the National Coordinator of NTYTP, made the appeal in a statement on Wednesday, in Abuja.

Ezema stressed the need to consider the youth for more appointive and elective positions, to enable them contribute their quota to governance and development.

He said the group was building the capacity of the youth as an alternative to older generation of politicians, whom according to him, have failed to fix the country.

He appealed to the APC to remember the campaign promises it made ahead of the 2015 General Elections that brought it to power.

“As a group that advocates exceptional performance in governance, the best and incorruptible young Nigerian with capacity, should be given opportunity to be the next APC national chairman,’’ he said.

He noted that Nigerians elected President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and 2019, because of his incorruptible posture.

Ezema said this fight against corruption must continue with the election of a young, incorruptible person as APC’s next national chairman.

“Without any ambiguity, Nigerians came out to support President Buhari in 2015, simply because of his avowed clean and unblemished records.

“And up till date no case or cases of corruption have been traced to his person,” he said.

According to Ezema, the onus is on the president, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other APC stakeholders, to take into cognisance records of those who will become the party’s next national chairman, as well as other executives.

He also stated that all eyes were on Buhari to make his word his bond in the fight against corruption in the country, by ensuring that the incoming state and national leaders of the party had no corruption baggage.

He said it would be counter-productive if Buhari was waging a decisive war against corruption, but at the same time supporting persons facing corrupt charges.

He said the NTYTP movement, however, was maintaining its identity as a citizen’s movement dedicated to democratic accountability, youth inclusion, and excellent public leadership.

“NTYTP has been creating awareness on leadership and mentorship, equipping youths with necessary skills, innovations and ideas needed to excel in their respective calling,’’ he said.

He added that the group was already raising a new youth leadership cadre for politics, economy, as well as all other leadership positions to prove they had a lot to offer as young citizens.

Ezema noted that youths constituted 53 per cent of Nigeria’s population, and so should be considered for leadership positions to enable them add value to governance.

According to him, young persons are also recording groundbreaking feats in their respective fields at home and Diaspora.

“Nigerian youths are taking the lead in the scheme of things globally,’’ he said.

Ezema said if the contributions of youths were being recognised across the world, they should be a force to reckon with at home.

“Nigeria and Nigerian politics require fixing, and my generation is set to take up that responsibility,’’ he said.

The youth leader, however, said young people would not be a able to make any meaningful contribution to the growth and development of the country if they were unable to bring in new ideas, innovation and technical-know-how.

According to Ezema, the NTYTP, with chapters in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is empowering young leaders to make that impact.