The youth leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the South-West has advised the national leaders against shifting date of the party’s National Convention.

Mr Kolade Lawal, the party acting Youth Leader in South-West, gave the advice on behalf of youths from the zone, at a news conference on Monday in Akure.

Lawal said that youths in the geopolitical zone were already looking forward to the February date of the convention.

He said that the party leadership should consider and allow youths and vibrant party members to occupy major positions during the national convention.

“We are upbeat and are already mobilising massively ahead of the convention.

“We are confident that our national leaders, being men of honour, will allow the party to stick to its promise and let our word be our bond.

“We ask the party leadership not to listen, let alone accede, to the cacophony of sponsored suggestions in some quarters that the February 2022 date be pushed forward to a later date.

“The people making this dangerous suggestions are familiar retrogressive voices who do not mean well for our party. They and their suggestions should be thrashed in the dustbin of history.

“Instead, we urge the party leadership to remain steadfast on the choice of February as the definite date for the conduct of the convention. Anything short of this is not good for the party,” Lawal said.

He commended the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention of the party led by Gov. Mai Mala Buni, for being steadfast and dogged in their approach to the party.

“Our leaders should, therefore, be careful not to play cheaply into the hands of some doomsday prophets who have wildly predicted the end of our party in a short-while,” Lawal advised.

He called for the inclusion of youthful members that were not above 50 years of age for membership of the new national working committee.

Lawal, on behalf of the youths also demanded that: “The party should not compromise on the kind and calibre of persons who should aspire for leadership positions in the party’s forthcoming convention.

“Only sound and competent members of the party, with requisite experience, should be allowed to take over the leadership of the APC at the national level.

“Young and vibrant party members should be allowed to take up strategic leadership positions in the forthcoming convention.

“The party should use this convention to give life to the leadership aspirations of Nigerian youths which President Muhammadu Buhari blessed in 2018 with his assent to the Not-Too-Young-to-run Bill.

“We owe President Muhammadu Buhari the moral duty of sustaining his laudable legacy in this regard.

“The party should look into the pool of youthful aspirants from among those contesting for key positions, such as National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman, National Secretary, National Organizing Secretary, Zonal Vice Chairmen, National Youth Leader, National Woman Leader, among others.”

According to him, the party should remember that youths are presently performing wonders in the private sector and other spheres of life, in spite of the daunting challenges, and so consider competent youthful members that are not above 50 years for membership of the new National Working Committee.

“The party should seriously consider giving itself maximal strength for victory in 2023 by democratically ensuring that its new National Chairman from the 2022 convention should be one of the array of competent youthful members already aspiring.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that youth representatives from all the South-West geopolitical zone were present at the news conference.