A youth summit has ended in Enugu with participants endorsing one of them, Mr. Iheanacho Ezeakor, for the 2019 presidency.

Although it was still unclear whether Iheanacho would accept or the political platform he would use, the youths, at the summit held on Thursday, said the elderly had failed in leadership positions.

While unanimously adopting Ezeakor for the 2019 presidency, the youth summit in their communique signed by Maryann Chukwuka, Alhaji Haruna and Lawrence Ozifo said: “We have keenly followed Nigerian politics for decades and we come to the conclusion that our fathers have failed in giving us the much expected hope.

“We have been hearing that the future belongs to the youths, but this has gone on for decades and all we see is recycling of old politicians. Some of them will rule in military uniform, remove the uniform and come back as civilian presidents.

“After extensive discussions today, in line with the ‘Not too young to run bill’, we declare that enough is enough; we declare that the Nigerian youths will no longer fold our arms.

“As Igbo youths, our collective decision today is to that we will no longer continue for Biafra agitation, but work to see that one of us becomes the President of Nigeria in 2019.

“We, hereby, today endorse one of us, Mr. Iheanacho Ezeakor, as our candidate for the 2019 presidential election.

“We shall immediately resume consultations, and in the next couple of days, we shall decide the platform through which this our-collective ambition will be resolved. May we make it clear that this is a project by the entire Nigerian youths.”

An elated Ezeakor, who had convened the summit for the Nigerian youths to brainstorm for the way forward in the country, said he was humbled by the decision of his fellow youths.

While lamenting the worrisome state of affairs in the country, he stated: “The future will indeed belong to the youths if they believe in themselves and take up their destiny in their own hands.”

Ezeakor blamed Nigeria’s problems on inability to think and poor level of consideration. He said: “We should not wait forever to get solutions from government; we need to find solutions.

“We are talking about Biafra; I cannot deny it; I don’t think the agitations are illegal, but go about it in a more decent and illegal way.

“I agree that getting a youth from Igbo land, projecting the person as a presidential candidate will be much better than the Biafra agitation. Let’s make an effort; let’s make a move.

“I don’t believe that the North or the West hates us as we are made to believe; come up with a good idea, you will see the North and the West supporting you. So, for us to succeed, I’m calling on the Nigerian youths to put away religion and ethnicity.”

Update news