Be Involved In Party Politics, Tinubu’s Support Group Charges Youths

Ahead of the January 25 proposed commencement of membership registration and revalidation by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, a group, the Asiwaju National Students Support Organisation, ANSSO, has called on youths across the country to go and register with the party.

This is as the group described the APC as a veritable vehicle that youths can use to achieve their political ambitions.

The group noted that participating in party politics remains the only means of getting into elective positions in Nigeria now

In a statement by the National Coordinator, Comrade Giwa Muritala, in Lagos, he expressed the organization’s concern about the low youth involvement in party politics, as most youths only agitate without taking some steps to become members of a political party.

He added that the few who join party politics are always afraid of big parties because of the fear of being dominated and would sometimes end up in parties that would not help them achieve their goals.

“We can only have a fruitful negotiation with the older leaders on the proper ratio for both the young and the old when we have a reasonable number of youths as members of the political party, which will form a very strong ground for proper negotiations.

“The membership registration and revalidation exercise about to be commenced by the ruling APC has created a very good window for both youths and students to join party politics. We must all take responsibility by playing our part. Every youth and student who are up to 18 years can vote and be voted for, but the question remains how many are in a place where they can have all that is required to be voted for?

“We have advocated that we are not too young to run, a movement which gained both national and international attention, now is time to perfect the movement for youth participation by getting involved in party politics, register as a party member, unite with other youths and negotiate for a proper sharing formula of all elective positions between the older leaders, the young ones and women, that’s the only way to make headway.

“Currently, the APC happens to be the only political party among other national parties to have opened a window for new entrants and that’s why we deem it proper to sensitize our fellow youths and students to go and register with the APC, as doing that will further prove our readiness for leadership which will pass a message to the older leaders that they can confide in us to continue from where they will stop.

“It’s not enough agitating, or taking to social media to criticise leaders based on ideology or age, we must show the new era we crave for and we can only make the desired change when we are in where the decisions of who gets what position will be made, which is a political party,” the statement read.

The group further urged political leaders to give the opportunity for the youths to participate in active politics.

“Our leaders must realize that they are getting older, as well weak in strength and knowledge, now is time to pass their good ideas and experiences to the young ones before they die with them, that’s the only way to ensure sustainability in the nation-building project,” the group added.