APC Youth Leader to lobby for nomination fee reduction for young persons

The APC primary is not going to be a make or mar election because the power brokers in the party have long made their choice

Israel Abdulahi, newly elected National Youth Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) said he would lobby other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to reduce the cost of nomination fee for young people.

Abdulahi who stated while addressing journalists during his familiarisation visit to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday said such action will increase the number of youths that would contest for elective offices.

He said: “I will go into the NWC meeting to make a case on behalf of that strong body of the youths across the nation to ensure that our young people get preference.

“If you are giving women 50%, you should be able to give young people under the age of 35 at least if not 40, the consensus to be able to pay a discounted fee.”

Abdulahi said his office in conjunction with Zonal and State Youth Leaders of the party will work with various stakeholders in the private, political and civil society sectors on how to find solutions to the challenges facing the nation and young people particularly.

He said they will also work with all the publicly elected officials under the APC to ensure that they fulfill their promises to create jobs and provide other avenues for youth empowerment.

“What is very important for us is that we want to engage a lot of people in public offices from Commissioners, political assistants to councilors in local government. We want to work with them to be able to ensure that they deliver true value to the young people across the country,” the APC Youth Leader stated.

Abdulahi further said the APC Youth Leaders will meet with the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu other stakeholders to address the issues that led to the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) with the view to ending the industrial action so that Nigerians students can go back to their studies.

“We are not part of the major stakeholders but we can only go to intervene, advocate and also lobby in our own way. We will make sure by the grace of God that together we will do things in our power to serve our generation and to ensure that we speak and remain a voice for young progressives, having in mind that if we do that, we can mobilise for our party in the coming elections,” he assured.