From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Governor of Niger State Abubakar Sani Bello has urged the Nigerian electorate to vote for young, vibrant and educated leaders during the 2023 general election.
The statement issued in Abuja by the Chief Advocate of The Nigeria Agenda (TNA), Niyi Akinsiju, quoted Governor Bello as having made the remark when he received the advocacy team on a visit to Niger state.
Governor Bello, represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, emphasised that the 2023 presidential race must usher in an era of rapid social and physical development in the country, adding that it can only be realised through the emergence of young, vibrant and highly educated president and other elected officials.
‘To achieve this, all political parties are enjoined to make sure only young, vibrant and educated candidates emerged on their respective platforms. This has become important because of the need to deliberately tap into the large population of young Nigerians that are highly educated, vibrant and have impressive records of experience in government. And the person must be capable of unlocking the potential of the country for rapid social and physical development,’ he said.
While expressing support and enthusiasm on the issues and values canvassed by the advocacy team, he also commended the group led by the Convener of TNA, Mallam Ahmad Sajoh, who urged Nigerians to imbibe values that strengthen national unity, cross-ethnic and religious bonding and good neighbourliness.
‘The government of Niger state supports the values being propagated by TNA and will actively back the national conversation the advocacy team is engendering among Nigerians.
‘The messages of unity and politics devoid of ethnic and religious biases in the country as being amplified by TNA are germane to strengthening the country and facilitating a class of leadership that will reflect the diversities of Nigeria and aggregate our differences for positive development rather than the needless conflicts that had characterised and distracted us collectively in our journey to a highly developed economic, social and political nation,’ the governor added.
Niger State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mohammed Idris, who is also an active member of the TNA advocacy group, highlighted the role of the group as it makes to trigger a Nigerian social and political renaissance through citizens’ sensitisation.
‘At the heart of the advocacy of The Nigeria Agenda is the objective of facilitating linkages between citizens and leadership recruitments. And in so doing, enable an empowered to motivate citizens that can make leadership accountable to them,’ the commissioner said.