The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq, has challenged the Nigerian youths to use their knowledge and permanent voter card to wrest power from old politicians.
The governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, at the Annual Youth Summit held in Ilorin, Kwara State on Saturday, charged the youth to come up with the vision and actions that would change Nigeria in a peaceful and orderly manner.
Abdulrazaq, who was conferred with the Grand Advocate of the Nigerian Youth award, said his pact with the people was to deliver quality education, which he identified as key to the developmental agenda of his administration.
He said, "The old men who are the ruling class will not give power to you voluntarily because they are not ready to do so, but the youths should use their brains and power of technology and their voter cards to wrest power from these old politicians whenever they are ready to take over from them. You cannot take over power from them by force."
He appreciated the Youth Assembly for choosing Kwara for the event, describing the theme as apt and timely considering the role education plays in the lives of the people.
The Speaker, Youth Assembly of Nigeria, Godstime Chukwubuikem, in his remarks, criticised the #RevolutionNow protest by the publisher of Sahara Reporters and 2019 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore.
Chukwubuikem stated that Nigerian youths were not in support of any revolution.
He said, "The youth should take over by the next elections through their PVCs as we found out that youths of the country make up over 65 per cent of the electorate in Nigeria.
"Let us make sure that we use our PVCs instead of going around shouting 'revolution.' The youth are saying no to that; the unity of Nigeria is paramount."
The youth speaker also criticised the ministerial list submitted to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that "a lot of Nigerian youths are disappointed at the names they saw on the list."
The acting Vice Chancellor, Kwara State University, Professor Saka Mahmud, who delivered a lecture titled ‘Transforming Education for Youth and National Development’, called for increased resources for education at all levels for national development.
Mahmud also urged political parties to give youths a chance by offering them a quota for participation in the political party convention.
Similarly, the state Chairman, YAN, Musbau Esinrogunjo, appealed to the youths to remain calm and resolute in their determination to attain leadership roles across the country.
