Plateau LG Polls: APC, PDP promise to support youth candidature

The Plateau chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday promised to support young people to run for various offices in the forthcoming local government polls in the state.

Chairman of the party in the state, Latep Dabang, said this at a three-day town hall meeting with political parties in Jos.

Our correspondent reports that the forum is organised by the Plateau State Coalition on Electoral Reform and Good Governance (PLASCER).

The meeting was supported by the Community Action for Popular Participation (CAPP), Actionaid Nigeria, UKaid and BBC Media Action.

PLASCER is a coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs), among others.

The meeting had representatives from the PDP, APC, ADP, INEC, CBOs, NOA, among others

PLASCER had on Monday and Tuesday engaged the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) and security agencies in a similar meeting.

According to Dabang, APC believes in the abilities of youths and will not relent in supporting them to assume leadership positions.

He said “for us in APC, the issue of Not Too Young To run is nothing to worry about because when leadership is pegged to age, then we won’t get it right.

“Once you have attained voting age, the Constitution says you can equally be voted for, so as party, we will go by that.

“There are situations that elders in leadership positions don’t have much to offer; some of them are worst when it comes to leadership.

“But we have a lot of youths who are well organised, well positioned and prepared to lead; they need to be given a chance.”

Similarly, Mr Amos Gombin, the Deputy Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, said the party had since it’s inception been a youth-friendly one.

“We strongly believe in mentorship; we believe in nurturing those that would take after us, and this exemplified in our regime in this state.

“So, the forthcoming local government polls would not be different.

“We shall support young poeople who have the zeal and abilities to lead, ” he pledged.