ABEOKUTA–A socio-political group, Afenifere for Collective Transformation (ACT), has canvassed for the emergence of a youth president in 2023, saying that it’s time for the youths to take over the governance structures of the country.
The group added that a number of older generations of leaders assumed offices at young age, hence, youths should be given a chance to rule Nigeria in 2023
Speaking at the youth conference themed, “Youths Own The Power”, organised by the group in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, the Kogi State Governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello maintained that the country needs courageous youths to take over the mantle of leadership to salvage the country.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Mrs Folasade Ayoade maintained that the youths must be courageous to wrestle the power, saying nobody will hand over power to them.
“We all need to know that all our leaders came to power when they were young. They were all youths. So, why would they not give the youths the chance to take over?
“Ideally, they should say since we came to power as youths, let’s allow the youths to have the power.
“But I need to let you know my fellow youths is that we will take it. We will take it. They will not give you. The truth is that they will not call you to come and take the power. So, we need courageous youths like Yahaya Bello. We need bold youth like Yahaya Bello. We need somebody that has the heart of youth and women that feel what we feel to take over”, she added
The Director General of ACT, Prince Tolu Ajayi declared support of youths in the South-West for Bello, describing him as “detribalised Nigerian.”
Ajayi said Bello’s administration favours the younger generation as “the vast majority of his cabinet members are youths.”
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to Kogi State Governor on project monitoring, Salau Usman ochidi stressed that those people that are behind the dividing of Nigeria are those that have enjoyed the country.
“As at today in Nigeria, over 60million registered voters are youth, just 60 percent of us if we decide to produce anybody, a no name man in Nigeria we can make him President”, he added
