Youth members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have advocated for the entrenchment of a clause in the party’s constitution to mandate all elected and appointed leaders on the platform of the party to at least visit their wards twice in a year to consult with members for the progress of the party.
The youths also called for the establishment of a Youth Directorate in the party organogram, in order to fully engage the youths for better participation of young people in party activities to improve its electoral fortunes.
These demands were made by the Member/Youth representative in the National Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Ismaeel Ahmed at the meeting of APC Youth Leaders from the 36 States of the country at the National Secretariat of the party.
Ahmed explained that the regular visit to the party members at the grassroots level by leaders in elected or appointed offices will go a long way in building stronger bonds between the leaders and the led; build a bottom-up party structure and enhance better inclusion of members in the party process.
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He said: “It is high time for our leaders to go back to their wards and meet our party members at least every six months. You can imagine how a party member will be anxiously waiting for Mr. President or Senate President or Governor or Minister attending ward meetings.
“This will help to energise our people and build the faith of party members at the ward level on the party and our leaders. It will also help educate and inform party members at the grassroots of policies and programmes of the government. I have discussed it with Mr. President and he is freely disposed to the idea. He welcomes it and I think we have to ensure this through constitutional backing.”
The youth leader said he has proposed these ideas to President Muhammadu Buhari and some other leaders of the party, adding that recommendations are been made for changes in the party Constitution and guidelines for congresses and primaries in order to get the young members fully entrenched in the party activities.
“We proposed some vital recommendations for changes in the APC Constitution and guidelines for congresses and primaries which we believe would see to better participation of young people in the party activities and process. We also looked at presenting a draft for the APC Youth Policy Agenda and including certain items into the APC manifesto that cater to the welfare of the Nigerian youth.”
“We have various directorates in the party. Our party has about 15 million members out of which about 11million are youths. This is a critical group and it requires attention. The youth own the party, but unfortunately while in our constitution we have other directorates, we are calling for a constitutional amendment for a robust and functional directorate for youth”, he noted.
