APC National Convention: Youth group pushes to takeover party leadership

As the National Convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) comes up in February, 2022, the Southwest Youth leaders have called for youths to takeover the party’s national leadership.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Acting National Deputy Youth Leader, Afeeze Bolaji Repete who was flanked by other youth leaders from the zone, commended the visionary leadership of the Chairman of Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Mai Mala Buni.

The group also urged the party not to succumb to pressures to shift the convention to a further date, stressing that the suggestion wasn’t in the public interest of the party, given that the general election is fast approaching.

The group said: “We are happy to welcome you to this Advisory Press Conference of the youth leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the southwest states of Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun and Lagos states.

“We have called for this session to first keep you abreast of the programmes and activities of the youths of the party from the Southwest, and second to table our positions, hopes, aspirations and expectations towards the party in the forthcoming all important National Convention in February 2022.

“First, we commend the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party led by His Excellency, Gov. Mai Mala Buni for being steadfast and dogged in their approach to party governance.

“In the same vein, we commend the CECPC for listening to the voices of reasons on the choice of February as the definite date for the conduct of the National Convention.

“Also, we commend the party leadership in the southwest for all the good work they have been doing to ensure party unity as well as meaningful service delivery, through good governance, to the people. In this respect, we wish to particularly thank all APC Governors in the southwest.

According to them, they were already mobilising for the convention for full participation, insisting that the Southwest youths are committed to the success of the convention.

“We the youths of the APC in the southwest states are already looking forward to February for the conduct of the national convention. We are upbeat and are already mobilizing massively ahead of the convention.

“We are confident that our national leaders, being men of honour, will allow the party stick to its own promise and let our word be our bond.

“We ask the party leadership not to listen, let alone accede, to the cacophony of sponsored suggestions in some quarters that the February 2022 date be still pushed forward to a later date.

“The people making this dangerous suggestion are familiar retrogressive voices who do not mean well for our party. They and their suggestions should be thrashed in the dustbin of history. Instead, we urge the party leadership to remain steadfast on the choice of February as the definite date for the conduct of the convention. Anything short of this is not good for the party.

“For sure and certain, the next national convention is make or mar for the APC. Whether the APC will continue to remain united, indissoluble, big and strong is firmly predicated on the kind and quality of decision our leaders take at the convention in February.

“Our leaders should therefore be careful not to play cheaply into the hands of some doomsday prophets who have wildly predicted the end of our party in a short while.”