Adamu Aliyu: Youths gradually reclaiming their proper position in politics

In this interview with MUHAMMAD TANKO SHITTU, Adamu Aliyu, PhD, an aspirant for the position of North Central Zonal Youth Leader in the All Progressives Congress (APC), expresses optimism that the convention will place on March 26, 2022, and discusses many topics.
Excerpts:
The APC has set a date for its national convention, but after two postponements, how practical is the March 26 date?
The APC, as the ruling party with millions of members, is making preparations to hold the convention as planned. The fact that our scheduled convention was canceled does not rule out the possibility of a successful event. I believe the APC’s national leadership is taking its time to plan a convention that would generate not just credible but also long-lasting leadership in our party. I am optimistic, and it is clear that the convention will take place as planned, especially because our national leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, has stated that there would be no further postponements.
The lack of a consensual candidate for the chairmanship and the presidential candidate’s zoning are big roadblocks to the convention. Do you believe it’ll go smoothly? I believe that issues such as the ones we are facing in the APC are normal in any democratic context. The fact that many well-known and experienced figures in our country’s democracy are vying to be the APC’s national chairman is sufficient proof that the party is still very much on the ground and committed to good governance and true democracy. Even though the constitution of our great party stipulates that an election be held, it is also promoting and advancing consensus as a gentle way to arrive at who becomes the national chairman. All of the national chairmanship aspirants are persons with the competences, capabilities, and experiences that are required to lead the party, but it is not possible for all of them to be at the same time, and even though the constitution of our great party stipulates that an election be held, it is also promoting and advancing consensus as a gentle Thank God, even President Buhari supports the consensus method, and we are looking to him to steer us in the right way, so it will be a simple task, and we will prove our opponents incorrect at the end of it all. We’ll cross over on the topic of which zone to propose a presidential candidate for the 2023 general election when the convention final takes place, which, insha’ Allah, will go through without a hitch. We are only allowed to do one thing at a time.
When zonal congresses have yet to be held, how confident are you that the national convention will be held?

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Everything happens in stages; the party’s constitution stipulates that zonal congresses must be held prior to the national convention; a date has been set for zonal congress, and I am confident that it will be held.
Mind you, I’m running for the role of zonal youth leader for the North-Central zone, and I can assure you that the congress will go off without a hitch.
You wanted to be nominated by the APC to represent Bassa/Jos-North Federal Constituency in the February 2022 bye-primary election, and now you want to be the Zonal Youth Leader. What made you want to do it in the first place? Yes, I wanted to be nominated for the recent bye-election in the Bassa/Jos-North Federal Constituency, but I was defeated in the party primary, but that is not the end of the story for me. My earlier quest as a youth was driven by a slew of requests from my constituency, with the majority of youths wanting me to run for the federal constituency of Bassa/Jos-North, and after I failed to do so, they approached me again and requested that I run for the zonal youth leader to represent the North Central zone, and after extensive consultation, I had no choice but to heed their calls. It is not enough to sit back and criticize someone in a leadership position; it is also sufficient to try to be there so that you can contribute to the advancement of good leadership. We have a lot to contribute to reshaping our country as youth, and I believe that possibilities like these will no longer be allowed to pass us by without a fight, and I am hopeful and convinced that we will triumph.
What difference does it make whether you survive or not?
The first thing they should expect from us is teamwork; for the first time, the youth are vying for the position of national youth leader; I, too, am a youth, so you can see that we are vying for our rightful places in the party’s affairs; this suggests that we will win some significant elective positions in the general elections of 2023. We will have a good and exceptional leadership influence at both the zonal and national levels, and we will do so by consulting with our peers on a regular basis. Without a leadership position, I have been supporting many young people’s political ambitions; it is clear that many of our contemporaries have benefited from our support as they pursue their educational goals, and it is our hope that we will use the zonal position to further the genuine cause of the youth. We have a good plan in place to ensure that the kids receive the attention they deserve, not just by paying attention to their predicament, but also by ensuring that the youth are included in decision-making at all levels of government.

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What do you think should be done to make the goal of electing youths in the 2023 elections a reality, rather than just positions inside the party? Nigerian youngsters are talented; we have all of the necessary capacity and capabilities to produce effective government; all we need is encouragement to do so, and we will show that we can do it better. In my opinion, we have previously failed to pursue our goal with complete seriousness and dedication, but we are now doing so correctly. For the first time in the PDP’s history, a young man has assumed the position of national youth leader; today, we are pursuing a similar cause in the APC, and we will continue to push until we are able to move in the correct path. We will work strategically to ensure that the youth receive gubernatorial, state, and national assembly tickets in the upcoming general elections, in addition to gaining national posts at party levels. We will work together to achieve this since we are the registered majority of our respective political parties, an advantage we have previously failed to capitalize on. Do you think Governor Mai Mala Buni’s committee is doing a good job guiding the APC? Knowing the state of the party previous to the formation of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led extra-ordinary caretaker committee, every sane and reasonable member of the APC will be satisfied with the choice that resulted in the formation of the committee. Leadership comes with a lot of responsibility, and everyone is fallible, but the Buni-led committee is doing an excellent job for the APC’s overall advancement.