A member-elect for Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, David Umar, has called for support for the election of a young lawmaker, Yusuf Gagdi, as the Speaker of the incoming 10th Assembly.
Gagdi is a member representing Kanan/Kanke/Pakshin Federal Constituency of Plateau.
Umar, in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, said Nigeria’s youth represent the present and future of the country but that the demographics of political leadership do not represent the reality.
“Both government and the political parties do not reflect this reality. That has to change. And this change should begin in the House of Representatives. What is the part of the youths in the political leadership calculation? Where is the place of the youths in our democracy; is it only as legislative and media aides?” he asked.
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Umar further said that the majority of 10th Assembly members fall below the age of 50, meaning that to maintain a conflict-free House, a young leader that can relate with the younger generation of lawmakers-elect must be elected.
The rep-elect, therefore, urged other members-elect and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to support Gagdi to become the next Speaker as he is not only in the youthful bracket as a 42-year-old but also has cognate experience in legislative business.
Umar said the argument that other lawmakers are more experienced than Gagdi in parliamentary business because he is just going for his second term is not tenable because he has surpassed them in legislative functions.
