Politics
Forum urges Tinubu to prioritise youth development, canvass support for Bello as minister
Some Nigerian youths under the aiges of Progressives Nigerian Youth Forum, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to give priority to youth development and employment in the country.
Mr Bright Enuebuka, National Coordinator of the forum made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja when he led some youth to stage a rally at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretariat.
He explained that prioritising youth development and employment was necessary to address issues of youth restiveness and unrest in the country.
Enuebuka said the rally was to draw the attention of President Tinubu to the plight of Nigerian youths and the need to have in place a Youth Minister that was ready to work for the advancement of youths.
He added that the rally was also to drum support for Mr Oyakhilome Bello, APC USA National Youth Leader as Minister of Youth Development.
The forum’s national coordinator said gone were the days when older men were appointed as youth ministers who could hardly relate with youths nor understood their feelings.
He, therefore, appealed to Tinubu to consider appointing a vibrant youth with passion to impact and deliver as the Minister of Youth Development.
He added that the country at the moment, needed the right persons to serve in all aspects for effective deliverance of true democracy dividends and the Renewed Hope mandate.
Enuebuka noted that appointments into political offices was determined by not just regional and ethnic balancing, but by the contributions of potential appointees to party development.
This, he said, included individual’s contributions to the electioneering campaigns and eventual success of a political party.
He said Bello who hails from Edo State, was one such individual, adding that he is a politically focused businessman who had been representing the Nigerian youth both within and outside the country.
He described Bello as one of Nigeria’s trail blazers with great passion to positively impact the lives of Nigerian youths, saying he was a leaders per excellent who invested his all, including his resources to ensure Tinubu’s electoral victory at the Feb. 25 presidential election.
He expressed optimism that as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and a social influencer, Bello would be able to redirect the mindset and mentality of Nigerian youths to positive thinking if made youth minister.
He added that as a youth himself who relates and understood the position of youths, Bello would be able to proffer better ways of how Nigerian youths could succeed in life and add value to the society.
Also speaking at the rally, Mr John Asuquo South-South Coordinator Nigeria Young Progressives Assembly
(NYPA) recalled that Bello had been championing the interests and voices of young Nigerians, even as an individual through his NGO.
“His primary mission is to create a platform for open dialogue and empower Nigerian youths, using tested policies and strategies to spark positive societal change.
“A mastermind in strategic planning and leadership, Bello skillfully navigated the complexities of different industries, achieving revenue growth that shattered expectations.
“His forward thinking approach and commitment to integrity and trust worthiness resonated with critical stakeholders and made him a revered figure in the business world,”Asuquo said.
He added that Bello’s impact continued beyond business, saying that his humanitarian heart led to the founding of his NGO: I Believe World.
Through the NGO, he dedicated himself to uplifting others. His values of belief, hard work, integrity, and love fueled his philanthropic endeavours and resonated with countless lives.
He noted that through his organisation, I Believe World, Bello provided resources and platforms to inspire and empower people by engaging the community and bringing inspiration.
“Through the organisation, Bello had empowered the less previleged in the society, including giving scholarships,” Asuquo said,” adding that he would do much more as a youth minister.
He further added that as a national youth leader for APC-USA and an influential voice in the Nigerian Diaspora, Bello earned recognition for his hard work and commitment to positive change.
“Given the above and many more achievements, Nigerian Youths are appealing to President Tinubu, to appoint Bello as a cabinet member to lead the Youth Development Ministry.
“The Nigerian Youths have found Oyakhilome Bello to be a true leader who contributed immensely to the birth of Renewed Hope in Nigeria and is prepared to lead the Youths to greater heights,” he stressed.
The immediate past deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers State, Dr Emana Ambrose Amawhe has resigned her membership of the party with immediate effect.
In a letter dated 28th March, 2025 addressed to the Chairman of Edem Odo Ward in Akpabuyo Local Government Council of Cross River State, she said, her resignation was with immediate effect.
She pointed out in the letter that her resignation should not be taken lightly, while she reaffirmed her commitment to and readiness to serve the government of Cross River and Nigeria in general in any capacities.
She said, “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.
”I sincerely appreciate the opportunity given to me over time to contribute my quota to the growth of the party and the chance to serve as the Deputy Governorship Candidate in the last general elections.
”It was a privilege to be part of the PDP’s vision and engage with our people in meaningful ways. However, after much reflection in light of the current state of affairs within the party, I believe it is time for me to move on.
“This decision was not made lightly, but I remain committed to serving my community and contributing to the progress of our state and nation in other capacities.”
Ambrose-Amawhe was the running mate to Senator Sandy Onor in the 2023 governorship election in Cross River.
She had also contested for the House of Representatives seat for the Bakassi/Akpabuyo/Calabar South Federal Constituency under the PDP.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State Chapter, Chief Tony Okocha, has defended the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in the state, citing escalating security threats.
According to Chief Okocha, Rivers State was on the brink of anarchy due to increasing security concerns in various parts of the state.
Okocha made this statement while addressing journalists at the APC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
Justifying the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency, Okocha commended the President for his “timely” intervention and criticized those opposing the decision.
“The state of emergency called by Mr. President saved Rivers State from anarchy. When you see non-state actors brandishing guns and making statements that promote lawlessness, then you should know there is a problem.
“I see some people jumping onto television platforms to cast aspersions on Mr. President and condemn what they do not understand. Mr. President knows more than they do.
“The truth of the matter is that Rivers State was headed towards anarchy. We all know Rivers is one of the states that sustain this country. Some of the same people criticizing the President now would have also condemned him if he had done nothing.”
Chief Okocha also questioned the silence of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) when the Rivers State House of Assembly complex was demolished under Governor Fubara’s administration.
“Thank God, President Goodluck Jonathan has been president, General Obasanjo has been president, and they know that every day on their table, they receive security reports.
“I hear the NBA saying the suspension is an affront to democracy. But when the assembly complex was burned and the next day, eleven pieces of equipment were deployed to demolish it, the NBA was silent. They were alive, yet we didn’t hear anything from them”, he said.
Reacting to criticism over why the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was not sanctioned despite allegations that he contributed to the unrest, Okocha argued that Wike was not involved in the crisis.
He said, “For those asking why the Governor and members of the State House of Assembly were suspended but not the Minister of the FCT—was he in the frame? The answer is no”
Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 general election, Adewole Adebayo said, God has told him that the party will produce the next president in 2027 general election.
Speaking over the weekend in Abeokua when he met the members and executive who were led by the State Chairman, Yinka Ola-Williams, said he could confirm that a President of SDP will mount Aso Rock villa in 2027.
“One thing that God is telling me is that there will be an SDP president in the villa in 2027.
“For the first time in a long time, we will have people who care for the people. Let’s remain focused. The problems of Nigeria are our problems, not individuals.
“We are not against Tinubu as a person but we are against hunger, inflation, poverty, insecurity, unemployment. That’s what we are against,” he said.
Buttressing Adebayo’s position on modalities of joining the party, the SDP Chairman in Ogun State, Mr. Yinka Ola-Williams, disowned 30,000 membership cards and registers allegedly being flaunted by one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in the 2023 governorship election in the State.
Ola-Williams said the party’s door is widely opened to anybody who wants to join, but such a person or group, no matter how highly placed, must follow the procedure as laid down in the party’s constitution.
He emphatically stated that the party had nothing to do with the membership cards and registers claimed by the aspirant, who said he got them from the party’s National Secretariat.
“We want people to join us, and we want to work together to provide a better government than what we have now that will remove poverty, provide a better healthcare system for people, improve education and all.
“But not that they come to the party, hijack the party and take the structure away. That’s what we will not agree,” Ola-Williams said.
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