National Political Equity Movement (N- PEM , a Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) has called on older politicians to give youths the chance to hold political offices in Nigeria.
Mr ‘Chidi Chidebe’ a member of the organisation, made the call at a news conference to mark the 2020 Democracy Day on Friday in Abuja.
He said as Nigeria approaches the general elections in 2023, it is important to remind older politicians of the need to drop their political ambitions, to give younger Nigerians opportunity to hold political positions in the knowledge that they are “our leaders of tomorrow”.
According to Chidebe, it is important for older politicians to begin to relinquish their ambition for power for younger Nigerians to have the opportunity to hold positions of authority. “Our youths are doing the much they can but as you know, no right objective is actualised in one day, Everything is in stages. At least today we can celebrate few number of persons who are not up to 30 years in elective positions, Our leaders have to open up the system, a situation where somebody who is in his 70’s or 80’s is vying for election has already blocked the opportunity for his child or grand child to contest in the same election”.
“Even if they are not vying for the same position, the truth is that, the moral burden of two people contesting for elective positions from the same family would be there and the child would not go ahead,” he said.
While expressing optimism that the future is bright for the youth participation in politics in the near future, he said, “I know we are getting there,” he said. “At least in the last election there was a businessman who sponsored his son to contest election. These are the things we are looking for.
“Another thing, if we ever get a president who is less than 50 years, it will help because the chances that he or she will be surrounded with young people will be high,” he said.
He further expressed optimism that as Nigeria’s democracy progressed the dream would be actualised.
Ms Ibi Akatiki, another member of the organisation, said youth participation in governance was crucial to national development and must be encouraged in the political space.
She said as Nigeria’s democracy progressed, it was important to ensure equity, unity, fairness and other factors that would help Nigeria consolidate the gains of democracy.
“N- PEM is a movement that works to actualise consolidated political structure to promote equity. It works to ensure fairness and justice,” she said. She thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for making June 12 democracy day because of its significance.
Also speaking at the democracy day event, The convener Amb. Sunday OKereke said
“As a movement, we make this argument for the South East Presidency-2023 in total recognition of established democratic norms and the fact that political power is not given. Hence, we advocate that based on Nigeria’s unique diversity, historical political structure, power arrangement and in fulfillment of the Constitutional declaration equity and social justice, including the urgent need for national integration, national progress/development, national healing, national loyalty, national fairness, national political justice, and national belongingness that through negotiations, lobbying, consensus, solidarity, peaceful persuasion, superior civil argument and brotherliness other zones should support the South East for presidency of Nigeria after 24 years of return to democracy.
“The movement uses this opportunity to call on Mr. President, H. E. Muhammadu Buhari, political party leaderships and all men of conscience irrespective of party affiliation, religion or creed to kick the process of building a national consensus that will produce a Nigerian President from the South East come Nigeria.
