The youth representatives of the three front running parties for the 2023 presidential election have engaged each other in a debate as regards which party is more accommodating of the young people within the country.

National Coordinator, Peoples Democratic Party National Youth Frontier, Austin Okai; Director Youth Affairs Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Isa Abubakar and the National Youth Spokesperson Tinubu-Shettima Campaign Council, Aliyu Audu, who were all guests on Channels Television Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday, argued that their respective presidential candidates have the best interest of the youths at heart.

The PDP youth representative Okai believes only his candidate Atiku Abubakar has properly engaged the youths of the country so far.

“Even the candidates engaging youths in a town hall meeting, I think it is only the PDP presidential candidate that engages the youths and these youths are selected from the party, the other youth organs in the country have not been engaged with the presidential candidates to ask what do we stand to benefit,” Okai said.

But the Labour Party representative, Abubakar believes that only Peter Obi has shown the capacity to carry the young people along if he emerges the president of Nigeria.

“My presidential candidate in the person of Peter Obi see the youthfulness in me and say I should come to direct the affairs of young persons for him in the country, it is a sign that without going too far he is willing to work with young persons irrespective of where you come from or who you are in as much as you are a young person, you are competent ad can deliver.

“I think he is the only presidential candidate that has that willingness to drive that for young persons. So we are very hopeful that with him as president this agitation of youth participation in politics will be a thing of the past,” the Obi/Datti Youth Affairs Director said.

On his part, the APC youth representative, Audu argued that only his party has provided young people with a platform to develop themselves politically and fully participate not only in electioneering process but also in governance.

He said, “I think it is predicted that the only party that has really provided a platform for young people to develop themselves is the APC and I say that because we didn’t wait until presidential election to start doing all of these.

“You are aware that for a lot of months now we have taken charge of our party, we ensured we hold our leaders accountable because when we came together as young members of this party, one of the things they promised us is that they want to position the country for the good of young people and it’s worked so pretty well.”

It is widely believed that young people will have a lot of say in who becomes the next president of Nigeria in 2023 as the Independent Electoral Commission in October said that 76.5 percent of newly registered voters are young people. (Channels TV)

•(L-R): National Coordinator, Peoples Democratic Party National Youth Frontier, Austin Okai; Director Youth Affairs Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Isa Abubakar and the National Youth Spokesperson Tinubu-Shettima Campaign Council, Aliyu Audu, at the Channels Television Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday.

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