South-South PDP youths make case for presidential, vice candidate from zone
By Dave Okpogadie, Asaba
The youth leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-South zone have demanded that either the presidential or vice presidential ticket for the 2023 election should be conceded to the South-South partly as compensation for the support of the region towards to the growth of the party.
They also urged the leadership of the party to reduce fees for nomination and express of interest forms by 50% for aspiring youths who are less than 40 years old.
These were parts of the demands made by the youths in the zone which were contained in a seven-point communiqué issued at the end of the maiden South-South PDP Youth Summit held in Asaba, Delta State.
According to the communiqué read by Uyero Erarawewho, the youths resolved to stand with the decision of the governors of the region as regard the position of the presidential ticket of the party.
They further demanded that a youth should be among the three ad-hoc delegates for the national convention.
Urging youth leaders in the zone to mobilise qualified people for the PDP e-registration, the communiqué charged to spread their nets and bring in more young people into the party.
Declaring the summit with the theme: ‘Youth and the Rescue Mission in Nigeria’ open, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said the PDP was the only answer to the untold hardship inflicted on Nigerians by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
The Governor, represented by his Political Adviser, Isaac Anwuzia, charged the youths to fully mobilise Nigerians and ensure that they cast their votes for PDP in 2023.
In his address, National Youth Leader of the party, Muhammed Kadade Suleiman said Nigeria was on the verge of collapse, adding that the PDP has come up with the mission to rescue the nation from the edge of the precipice, and restore sanity to the polity.
Suleiman said youths have the dexterity to effect leadership change, even as he encourage participants to mobilise the people to get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), saying that it was the only weapon to reshape the country.
He charged them to eschew violence and avoid being used as agents of distabilisation.
“Don’t allow yourselves to be used as tools to distabilise the country. You must be strategic, bold, courageous and be ready to make sacrifices,” he said.
He assured PDP youths that he would continue to adequately represent their interests at the level of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
