Macron: Group calls for youth inclusiveness in Nigeria’s polity

The Arewa Youth Forum, (AYF) has called on all political parties in Nigeria to allocate some posts to youths to enable them occupy leadership positions for a better nation.

The group, in a statement issued in Kaduna on Monday, said the election of Emmanuel Macron as the French president-elect should inspire all parties in Nigeria to consider fielding youths starting with the next general elections.

The president of the group, Gambo Gujungu, in the statement said: "The election of the youngest president of France has sent messages around the world and most especially in Africa and Nigeria where the elderly ones have held the leadership of the country by the jugular."

The statement further reads: "It is because of this development that we are calling on all the political parties in the country to give a percentage of the executives to youths and make sure that they are given their pride of place in the running of the parties. We believe as the platform, on which individuals aspire to leadership position, it is the best training ground for youth engagements.

"We will no longer be comfortable or tolerate a situation where a 68 year old is elected as the youth leader of political parties in the country.

"We also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to always take the Youths into consideration in his appointments as that can also serve as veritable platform for training the Youths who will take the leadership of the nation tomorrow.

"If the present situation where the Youths are are sidelined in the scheme of things continue, we will have no option than to register our own political party and bring about the change that is necessary for the growth and social economic department of the country."

POSTED BY:OPUOMONI PRIYE

DATE:05/09/2017