Rejection of Yahaya Bello as APC youth coordinator by a group

The Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello's selection as the National Youth Coordinator of the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council for the 2023 general election has been rejected by a youth organisation operating under the auspices of the Presidential Support Council.

Bola Tinubu, the APC's presidential candidate, has given his approval for Bello's appointment to guide the party's youngsters during the anticipated September 28, 2022, start of the presidential campaigns.

The national leader of the group, Kassim Muhammad, stated during a news conference in Lafia on Monday that they did not support the nomination because it was to be made to a person no older than 40 years old.

The organisation then requested the governor of Kogi State to publicly reject the offer in order to make room for party youngsters to likewise pay their fair share into the presidential campaign council.

He continued by saying that Governor Bello, who campaigned for president in the party's most recent primary election, should be given a bigger role in the campaign council rather than holding the job of youth coordinator.

"There are capable young people within the party who have the capacity and capability to handle that position in the Presidential Campaign Council," claimed Muhammad, a former member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly. "That would have given Nigerian youths a better hope in the incoming APC administration under Bola Tinubu."

"We acknowledge Bola Ahmed Tinubu's contributions to the growth and development of young. He has helped many young people across the nation who are now outstanding adults and succeeding in their respective endeavours.

But it is wrong to designate an active governor to a role that belongs to a young person. The nomination ought to be reexamined since Governor Yahaya Bello is too big for such a position.

The only way to guarantee that the new government would be inclusive is for the party and its presidential candidate to make sure that a young person is appointed as the National Youth Coordinator.

"The most recent estimate of Nigeria's population was 198 million, and youngsters between the ages of 15 and 40 make up half of the population. Therefore, for the sake of inclusivity, any leadership in the nation should give the youths top importance.

Over 300 youth organisations are a part of the Presidential Support Council, and we have all agreed that Governor Yahaya Bello is not the right person to head the youths in the APC presidential campaigns for the general election in 2023.