2023: Prioritize Nigeria’s interest – Ethnic youth leaders to presidential candidates

The Nigeria Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders’ Council (NENYLC) has urged Presidential candidates of the various political parties to make Nigeria’s interest a priority in their engagements.

They made the declaration after a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday and was contained in a press statement made available to newsmen, signed by Com. Terry Obieh, President-General, NENYLC.

At the meeting was also the National Organizing Secretary of the group and President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, OYC, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, among other officials.

They commended all political parties for the completion of their primary elections, urging all the presidential candidates “to unite and put Nigeria first in the course of their political engagements across the country.”

They announced that the presidential candidates would need to explain to the youths their plans if elected President.

While noting that democracy is about accountability, the group condemned “the spiral out of control attacks on the Igbo and other non-indigenous communities in Lagos State by thugs on the heels of INEC voter’s registration.

“We are extremely and particularly concerned about some cardinal issues which we look forward to hearing from the presidential candidates of all political parties on their plans on how best to positively salvage and sail the ship of Nigeria.”

The youths added that, “Nigerians urgently needs from our Presidential candidates to address restructuring of the Constitution and governance system in compliance with the foregoing circumstances and modernity, by putting up positively driven aggressive master plan on job creation and mass employment opportunities, agricultural revolution, education, health care, Technological advancement, rebuild a stronger foreign policy partnership base, and most importantly fight insecurity, insurgency and other wanton crimes to a standstill, ensure strategic security framework, provide uncommon economic sustainable growth and national stability.”

They further demanded immediate intervention from the Federal Government to end the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, through peaceful resolutions.

The statement reads further: “In view of the ongoing Permanent Voter’s Card registration process, we call on the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to consider succinct administrative management of the entire process, based on the increasing voters’ interests to get registered.

“Our youths constitute more than 65% of the nation’s population, since they are willing to get their PVCs, they should be given this timely opportunity to carry out their civic and franchise rights.

“We demand that more registration PVC machines should be provided and more registration centres be opened before the closing date while using this opportunity to demand an extension by two months.

“National unity has now become inevitably difficult to achieve, especially at this critical point in time.

“We call on all political parties to give a sense of belonging to every segment of our population. We need each other to move this country forward.

“We cannot afford to be further polarised and excessively divided at these perilous times.

“The 2023 election should not be made a do or die affair, hence the need for all presidential candidates, political parties, and other candidates and citizens not to overheat the polity with hate speech, thereby to extol the virtues of peace and sportsmanship qualities before, during and after the general elections.

“We demand that all political parties should as a matter of necessity balance religious and ethnicity-related issues, so as to protect and sustain the values of democracy in Nigeria, being a circular state in compliance with the 1999 Constitutional provisions on Federal character.

“We, therefore, call on parties to embrace a joint religious ticket (Muslim, Christian and Traditional Religion Practitioners), based on competitive competence and positive values, and not predicated on compensatory opportunism.”