Mr Temidayo Abdullahi, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Youth Leader, says Nigerian youths are in support of the party and its 2023 Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, contrary to media reports.
Abdullahi stated this while speaking with newsmen on Monday in Abuja at the Progressives Young Leaders Summit organised by the party.
He said the APC was not moved by the propaganda of some politicians who hire few people on social media to give the impression that they have support of Nigerian youths.
According to him, most Nigerians have been positively impacted through the APC-led Federal Government’s Trader Moni Programme and grants to young entrepreneurs.
He added that the party’s social investment programmes affected many families in various communities across the country.
“Many young people are part of the APC and we are proud to have them here.
“We have more young people outside, and if you go into our rallies in the state, from Oyo to Bauchi, and every where you see thousands of young people in the APC.
“Don’t listen to all the propaganda that young people are not with our party. Young people are with our party,’’ Abdullahi said.
He said the summit was organised for Nigerian youths, who constituted 20 per cent of the over 200 million Nigerian population to discuss the country they want.
He said it was important for them to come together and discuss the pivotal roles they want to play in the coming general elections and their expectations from the APC next administration under Tinubu.
Abdullahi said the APC leadership already had in place measures that were impacting positively on youths, which would encourage them to vote APC in 2023.
These, according to him include creating opportunity for the empowerment of young people and sensitising them to understand their roles in developing, and building a great nation.
He added that ahead of the party’s last primaries, 50 per cent discount for the purchase of expression of interest and nomination forms was approved for aspirant’s below the age of 40 in the party.
“This is because we want to get youths into the parliament, House of Assembly and at the National Assembly,” he said.
When asked on what was being done to address the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the APC youth leader said that the contending issues were fundamental and must be dealt with.
Abdullahi said while government was committed to addressing the strike, the issues required both ASUU and government to come to a compromise.
“The government is working to ensure that they can come to a compromise. Everybody needs to shift.
“Everybody needs to find a way, a middle ground to compromise, you cannot put the totality of the blame on the government,” he stressed