The youth wing of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has demanded for a reduction in the fees for the nomination forms to aspire for political offices across the country.
Making its communique public Monday after its One-day Conference of Progressive Youths which held in Abuja, the party’s national youths leader, Ismaeel Ahmed, the youths wing also demanded that the party should fix the age of 35 or below for all counsellorship seats to be contested for under APC, except where such person does not exist or does not have the requisite qualification.
According to him, the conference also recognized that Nigeria is a young country with more than 70% of its population below the age of 50 years, hence the youthfulness fuels a huge energy capable of delivering sustainable prosperity to the over 200 million Nigerians if well harnessed and rightly targeted.
“Create a pathway to a significant inclusion of young people in party activities, leadership structure and committees and also to engage young people in government at all levels, by strengthening the provisions of the constitution of the party and establishing guidelines for elected and appointed officials of the government and the party.
“That it is needful to deepen participation by deliberately mainstreaming young people in the party and government for the purpose of securing the legacy of the party and our President.
“Young people under the age of 45 should be encouraged and supported by the party to hold Chairmanship seats at the Local Government Council level in all the states of the federation.
“The State Houses of Assembly seats should be pegged at 45 as well to infuse energy and direction at the state legislature.
“At the party level young men and women should be encouraged and be given preference to run for every office especially those of deputies should be set aside for youths and women only, perhaps with the exception of the office of Deputy Chairmen which shall be opened to everyone.
“There should be a directorate of Information Technology which shall always facilitate technological advancement in the activities of the party.
“Mandate the appointment of at least one youth representative at the Board and Management Team of All MDAs in both the Federal and State Governments.
“Membership of both standing and adhoc committees of the party at all levels shall be composed of at least 2 members who shall be persons not more than 45 years.
“Create a directorate of youth affairs headed by a person not more than 40 years as director, who shall be responsible for the organisation of the activities of youth in the party.”
Other demands, according to the communique, are that the party should “set-up a Progressives Institute for the training and nurturing of progressives leaders. The Progressives Institute shall have a Progressive Book Guide for all appointees and elected progressive leaders to be immersed into the ideas, ethos and expectations of the progressives.
“All elected office holders joining/defecting to the APC shall be mandated to undergo a progressive’s induction which would be anchored right from the ward, LG, state and then a mandatory visit to the National Secretariat.”
