Kogiflame
Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, a group of young Nigerians under the aegis of the Grow Nigeria Youth Movement on Thursday gathered in Osogbo to restate support for Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s presidential bid.
They also gave reasons why all well-meaning Nigerians should join them in speaking up for the former Senate President.
The group at a town hall meeting held at the NUJ Hall, Osogbo , Osun state also unveiled its excos in the six states in the South West namely; Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, Ondo , Lagos and Ogun.
Those who spoke at the town hall meeting described Saraki as the ‘most experienced’ and the best candidate for president.
The town hall meeting that was jointly presided over by the group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Olalekan Lawal ‘Auto’ and the South West coordinator, Comrade Jolapamo Bolanle had two members of Osun state House of Assembly ; Hon Olaniran Atidade and Hon Adewumi Adeyemi ,PDP South West Youth Leader , Hon Seyi Bamidele and the United States Coordinator of Grow Nigeria Youth Movement, Mr. Adesewo Otegbayo among the attendees.
Comrade Orisamoluwa Adekunle, Comrade Famuyibo Oluwasegun, Comrade Olalekan Ajenifuja and Comrade Afolabi Saheed , who are the Coordinators of the group in Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun and Osun states respectively, also attended the event.
One of the invited guests , Comrade Odunjo Adio aka ‘Orlando’ , set the tone for the townhall meeting by urging young people in the country to get their PVCs ready ahead of the 2023 General Election and ensure that an energetic and effective leader like Dr Bukola Saraki gets elected as president .
South West Coordinator of the Grow Nigeria Youth Movement , Comrade Jolapamo Bolanle said the need to bring young people together to work for a better Nigeria led to the emergence of the group.
He asserted that Saraki can turn around the fortunes of the country if elected as president ,adding that he has gotten the needed experience.
‘He was the Senate President and we saw what he was able to achieve. He was not only in charge but seen by all to be in charge , he knew all the senators and called them by their names , when you compare him to other aspirants , you can see that he is the most qualified. He is courageous and he has the political will’ Jolapamo said.
Giving his speech, the National Coordinator, Comrade Olalekan Lawal, who commended members of the group in the South West for their efforts, said posterity will judge them kindly for joining others to make Nigerians realize the need to have a president that can ‘grow’ the country.
Saraki can according to him fix the nation’s problems , he therefore urged young people in the country to get their PVCs ready which he called an important tool to effect the desired changes .
Also speaking, Hon Seyi Bamidele described Saraki as one of the respected leaders of the party. While noting that he cannot openly endorse any aspirant being a party official , Seyi added however that he will readily support any effort to ‘grow’ Nigeria because of his love for the country.
Coordinator , Ekiti state, Comrade Famuyibo Oluwasegun said Saraki has taken steps in the right direction by seeking to get PDP presidential nomination having over the years worked for the progress of the party.
‘He has done a lot for the party, he has given necessary supports when needed , we need a president that has the required strength, political will and capacity, and this is someone who has served as Presidential aide, governor and Senate President, honestly Saraki is the most qualified’ he said.
Hon Adewumi Adeyemi ,who represents Obokun state constituency in the Osun state House of Assembly , said Nigeria’s next president must be energetic , strong and capable of effectively handling presidential duties .
While noting that the senior citizens may though truly love to get things done but inhibited because they will feel their age and may not be able to work for six hours daily, he said the time has come for young people to be in charge , get things done and ‘grow’ Nigeria.
Also speaking, Hon Olaniran Akanfe Atidade , who represents Ede South state constituency, predicted victory for the PDP in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun states and the General Election scheduled to hold next year. He however cautioned social media handlers of PDP aspirants against promoting schism in the party while leaving their common and main enemy and allowing them to strategize.
He also urged young people to stop the idea of not giving necessary supports to young people in positions of authority but rather embarking on a mission to pull them down.
One of the attendees, Abraham Shakirah , who said her maternal grandmother hails from Agaka area of Ilorin, said she has no doubt that Saraki will be an effective leader as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria cognizant of the achievements that were recorded on his watch in Kwara state .
‘When he was the governor of Kwara state, he changed the face of the state and successive administrations have only built on the foundations he laid , I have relatives in Ilorin and we all know that Saraki has the needed capacity to rule our country. He is young and he has the interest of young people at heart’ she said.
Saraki served as President of the Nigerian Senate from 2015 to 2019.
He was also the governor of Kwara state between 2003 and 2011
