Youths in the southern part of Nigeria on Monday asked former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar to declare his intention of running for President in 2023 without any further delay.
The group under the aegis of Southern Youth Alliance (SOYA) vowed that it would view Atiku’s further silence on the 2023 presidency as an act of cowardice.
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The President of SOYA, Ismail Ridwan, said this in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during a press conference organised by the South West arm of SOYA, in support of the former Vice President’s ambition.
Ridwan alongside other members were armed with placards that had inscriptions which read, “Age is an advantage for Atiku,” “Atiku loves the youth,” “PDP is safe with Atiku,” “Atiku for President 2023,” “Atiku promised the youth 40% inclusion,” “Nigeria is safe in Atiku’s hand.”
The president of the association noted that as a group of youths they had canvassed for youths in leadership positions, but more emphasis should be placed on competent leadership.
He also submitted that Nigeria is confronted with “monumental challenges”, including insecurity, poverty and increased debt, saying the country requires a leader “who can speak the truth, mend fences.”
“We are also not comfortable with the seeming silence of Atiku in declaring his intention to contest the presidential election. If he does not do so, we will believe he is a coward, we will believe he is scared.
“We are respectfully making a demand that His Excellency Atiku Abubakar speaks on his ambition to run for the 2023 presidential election and make a declaration in the affirmative,” he said.
He also expressed the group’s discomfort over the campaign of calumny against Atiku, saying age has nothing to do with leadership.
