2023: It is time for youths to take over leadership – APC youngest presidential aspirant

Ahead of the 2023 general election, an All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant who is also the youngest politician vying for the highest office, Dr Nicholas Felix, has called on Nigerian youths to strive and take over leadership from the older generation.

Dr Nicholas said this recently during an interactive session with youth and student bodies in Abuja.The programme was organized by the Committee of Youth on Mobilization and Sensitization (CYMS).

The presidential hopeful questioned why youths only occupy positions like the special adviser and assistant to older politicians.

He said “As youth of this nation unfortunately, we have allowed our political fathers to push us to the side. We have tolerated from them what we will not tolerate from our biological fathers.

“During the last election, I was 37 years old. They said to me, youths are the leaders of tomorrow. 10 years ago when I was 30, they said, youths are the leaders of tomorrow, 20 years ago,they said youths are the leaders of tomorrow. I’m telling you before the next election I will no longer be called a youth because I will be 44 years old. Gradually we are leaving the youthful age to become adults.

“The question I will always ask myself is, when is the tomorrow? If we don’t do something now, soon our children will be calling us the fathers.

“One of the reasons i said to myself i will not give up, is because one day my children will know I did my best. I will not stand before them in shame and say I ran like our fathers did.

“Many of our fathers failed us by allowing what went on to go on this far”.

Dr Nicholas who noted that now is the time for youths to take over leadership in Nigeria, however charged them to push until this is achieved.

“Nobody will hand over power to you because you desire it. No administration will hand over power to you because they love you. Power is not handed over, power is taken. Power is fought for”, he added.

The Director General of CYMS, Comrade Obinna Nwaka noted that President Muhammadu Buhari is in support of youths emerging as leaders in the forthcoming general elections as he already signed the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ bill three years ago.

Speaker of Odua Youth Parliament (OYP) Mr Abdulmajeed Oladimeji also urged President Buhari to ensure that a young and vibrant individual succed him come 2023.