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*Pledges to support campaigns of brilliant women, youth Sunday Aborisade, Abuja
A leading aspirant for the position of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Sani Musa, has promised to end imposition of candidates if elected on March 26.
He also pledged to end agitations of poor representation in governance among women and youths.
He specifically promised to institutionalise and make APC, a political party whose policies would support the women and youths in both the internal working and developmental structures.
Musa, who presently represents Niger East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, also promised to adapt to a participatory work style that will usher visionary and pacesetting leadership for the party that will guarantee affirmative actions.
He stated these on Sunday during an interactive session with a cross section of women and youths under the aegis of APC Youths Stakeholders Forum.
The National Coordinators of the groups, Dr. Mariam Jibrin and Mr. Uju Kelechi, had articulated their views in supporting the aspiration of Senator Musa.
They called for an all inclusive party where women and youths will have strategic roles to play within the APC.
Responding, the aspirant said, “With Senator Mohammed Sani Musa at the helms of affair, imposition of candidates during primaries will be a thing of the past. We will give a level playing field to women of courage and ambitious youths to actualize their dreams.
“Our agenda is to unleash our real potentials by changing our decayed system, process and outcomes to that of modern society and state where things are better for its people.
“Women and youths will take the centre stage of our activities and as such, skill development will be on a mission mode, at an unprecedented scale in order to produce capable, confident,and well skilled human resource that will feed an expanded economy.”
He also promised that a reward system that would be sustainable would be initiated, where hard working and qualified party women and youths would be accorded first right of refusal where there are available opportunities.
He said, “We’ll work with party organs to ensure women and youths get decent jobs, political weight, negotiating muscle, and real influence in decision making.
“The women and youth wings of the party leadership will be empowered to contribute meaningfully to development of the society.
“In recent times, women and youths in Nigeria have demonstrated a high level of commitment to service and an uncommon zeal as a critical stakeholders in key governance issues and decision making “As a frontline aspirant for the position of the National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), it is important to share with you my thoughts and plans for our women and youths if given the opportunity to lead our great party.
“I am fully aware of the challenges facing women and youths in Nigeria today, and the series of hurdles they have to cross in order to be heard and be given the opportunity to tap their potentials. “Our agenda for women and youths as a party will be within the confines of the party’s formulated policies that will be proposed to the executive arm of government.
” As the head of the party leadership or the National Working Committee (NWC), it is imperative on us to think-outside-the-box and compliment government’s existing effort in the emancipation of women and youths in our society.
“Political parties are essential institutions of democracy and as such, I will be adaptive and committed to building capacity amongst our women and youths folks and we shall make it a policy of the party.
“Human capital development will be giving the most needed priority based on a model similar to the one implemented by the Best Practices Institute (BPI).
“Under my leadership, APC will work to deliver trainings to volunteers, party leaders and staff, women and youth organisations, candidates and campaign staff, constituency caucus members, community stakeholders and leaders, and in so doing our operational foundations will become more solid.”
The Senator said the project would be one of the core programmes in building and strengthening the All Progressives Congress Party structures from ward to national levels to ensure success for the party in both elections and governance.
He said, “We are firmly aware that women and youth are the least represented amongst the political leadership.
“Whilst commending President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law the “Not-too-young-to-run bill” into law and other initiatives for youth and women participation in politics, as party, one of our strategy is to close the funding gap.
“As part of the reward system for APC under my leadership, we’ll identify young men and women of impeccable character and competence who have been accepted at the grassroots level to run for offices and support their campaign.
“This will ensure that the best amongst us are giving an opportunity to occupy leadership positions without the lack of encouragement and financial burden that comes with such. ” If given the opportunity to lead the APC, I will explore and initiate transfer of knowledge, a think-tank team or policy institute will be established as organ in the party with the sole purpose of performing research and advocacy findings concerning developmental initiatives such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture.
“Our belief is that, political parties should not only be a vehicle for winning elections and go into oblivion until another round of campaign starts — we’ll ensure that elected officials are given all the necessary support to succeed on their assignment,” he added.
