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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Some students and youth groups have tackled elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark and some other Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) over their recent outburst on Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, over his nomination as PDP Vice Presidential Candidate in 2023 elections.
The youth groups, comprising of Nigerian Youth Union (NYU), Northern Youth Initiative for Good Governance (NYIGG), Southern Youth Forum (SYF), Oodua Youth Parliament, among several others expressed disappointment over the recent position of the regional leaders on the emergence of Dr. Okowa as PDP Vice Presidential Candidate.
The regional leaders had in the outburst contained in the press statement released last week, described Dr. Okowa as a betrayer and a traitor because he accepted the offer to be Vice Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, accusing him of going against the agreement reached with governors and other stakeholders that power should be zoned to the south in 2023 elections.
National President of Nigeria Youth Union (NYU), Comrade Chinonso Obasi, who addressed journalists in Abuja, on Sunday, on behalf of the youths and students groups said the outburst by the regional leaders was not necessary being that they have access to the persons involved, and could have reached out to them personally to register their displeasure.
“Besides, these regional leaders, some times, speak for themselves and tag it the position of their region, while in actual sense, they are expressing their personal opinion simply because things didn’t go their way.
“It has become a trend by these sets of leaders to attack, accuse and link people of leadership positions with betrayal, while in actual sense, these regional leaders are the betrayers of their people because they are interested in pushing their interests, tagging it the position of the region.
“Apart from press statements how else do Ohaneze Ndigbo, PANDEF, and the rest interact with the major constituents of Southern Nigeria? Aside this outburst on Dr. Okowa, elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark and his cohorts have consistently unleashed verbal attacks on other great Nigerians.
“For us at NYU and other youths and students groups, Dr. Okowa is the most qualified candidate for the position of Vice Presidential Candidate of PDP because he has proven over time to be a youth-friendly person. Besides, he has acquired enough knowledge and experience being in legislative and executive arms of government, in addition to his administrative and governance experiences required to run the Office of the Vice President.
“We are convinced that the choice of the PDP leaders is right and they won’t regret it as predicted by the regional leaders in the statement they released last week.
“We advised that the regional leaders stop hitting up the polity, particularly the recent plan to cause distractions and confusion in PDP which is preparing to rescue Nigeria from the hands of the APC government that has succeeded in achieving one thing in the last seven years, which is more pains and hardship in the country.
“As the umbrella body of Nigerian youths, I can assure the regional leaders that Nigerian youths are with the PDP Presidential candidate and his Vice, Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa, respectively, and they would work for their victory in the forthcoming elections.
“We, however, encouraged the PDP flag bearers to reach out to Nigerians with their policies and programmes designed to restore the lost glory and battered image of Nigeria,” Obasi said.
