A youth summit ended in Enugu Friday, with the participants urging the “older Nigerians” to drop their presidential ambitions.

Highlights:

• They listed: President Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former governor of Jigawa, Sule Lamido, the governor of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose.
• They said these political actors and several others who had indicated interest to rule Nigeria were too old and could no longer able to navigate the country out of her many problems.
• The youth, instead, agreed to project a youth that would succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

The summit in a communique signed by Maryann Chukwuka, Alhaji Haruna and Lawrence Ozifo said: “we have keenly followed Nigerian politics for decades and we come to the conclusion that our fathers have failed in giving us the much-expected hope.

“As such, we urge President Buhari, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Sule Lamido, Ayo Fayose and several others who are above 50 years, to give the youth a chance. They have done their best, but it is obvious that their best is not good enough for the country.

“We, hereby, today endorse one of us, Mr Iheanacho Ezeakor as our candidate for the 2019 presidential election.

“We have been hearing that the future belongs to the youth, but this has gone on for decades and all we see is recycling of old politicians. Some of them will rule in military uniform, remove the uniform and come back as civilian presidents.

“After extensive discussions today, in line with the ‘Not too young to run bill’, we declare that enough is enough; we declare that the Nigerian youths will no longer fold our arms.

“As youths, our collective decision is that we will no longer continue for Biafra agitation, but work to see that one of us becomes the President of Nigeria in 2019.”

Eleakor’s reaction:

• He said he was humbled by the decision of his fellow youth.
• He stated that “the future will indeed belong to the youth if they believe in themselves and take up their destiny in their own hands.”
• “We should not wait forever to get solutions from the government; we need to find solutions. We are talking about Biafra; I cannot deny it; I don’t think the agitations are illegal, but go about it in a more decent and legal way. I agree that getting youth from Igbo land, projecting the person as a presidential candidate will be much better than the Biafra agitation. Let’s make an effort; let’s make a move. I don’t believe that the North or the West hates us as we are made to believe; come up with a good idea, you will see the North and the West supporting you. So, for us to succeed, I’m calling on the Nigerian youth to put aside religion and ethnicity.”