Vote Party With Young Candidates In 2019 , Group Tells Nigeria Youths
As the country moves towards 2019 slated for the nation’s general elections, a group, Advocate For Collective Transformation And Youth Empowerment (ACT), has called on Nigerians to vote only parties that field young candidates for elective positions across board.
The group, which puts the figure of Nigerian youths at eighty million, maintained it was time young people took their destiny in their hands.
They took the position at the weekend in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State during its Working Committee meeting.
Addressing journalists, the national secretary of the group, Prince Tolu Ajayi, said the primary objective of the group is to position youth for Leadership positions ahead of 2019.
He observed that for too long, the Nigerian youth has been condemned to the background while the same set of people who keep saying ‘youths are the future of the country ‘ have refused to quit stage.
According to him, the dream of the group, comprising individuals in the age bracket, 18 – 55, will be realised with the target of initial ten million youths across the country.
Describing the group as a movement, Ajayi said though their ultimate goal is to gain political power, they are not politicians and don’t belong to political parties.
He said, ” Our association is for the general good of the Nigerian youth. We are a non partisan organisation. We are out to get youths elected and any party that will not listen to the voice of eighty million people does so at its own peril.
“For so long, the Nigerian youth has been cheated and condemned. We are out to say no to all that. We say no to use and dump mentality of the ruling class. We want to produce president, governors and other positions come 2019.
“The present leaders have been relying on the strength of our votes to get to power. Now we want to use power for ourselves to free Nigeria from bondage.
Urging the youths not to give up, Ajayi said the struggle to liberate the youth of the country started in 2014 with the formation of the group saying it is conceivable to have a young man as president in 2019, if youths in the country come together.
Asked how the group gets funds, Ajayi said it doesn’t rely on any moneybags but contributions from members have been their sustenance.
The group, which says bad leaders are worse than Ebola called on youths to believe in its project ahead of 2019, urging them to give it a try.
“On the surface, the idea appears hard. But we have to give it a try. The entire vote cast for the 2015 presidential election was around 27 million. And we have 80 million youths, the project is feasible.
“So, as Nigerian youths, we won’t support any political party not ready to field young people,” Ajayi added.
