By Emmanuel Mogbede

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Young Stakeholders’ Forum has called on the youth within the party to respect its internal processes and refrain from actions that can deepen divisions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The ​‌‌‍‍⁠​‍⁠⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​‍‌​forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Shehu Attah, made the call at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the news conference was aimed at making the forum’s position clear on the need to respect the office of Mr Dayo Isreal, the party’s National Youth Leader, and other leaders.

“We are young stakeholders and founding members of APC across the six geo-political zones of the country who have contributed immensely to the electoral triumph of the party since inception.

“We have watched with consternation the unrelenting attempt by some vested interests to stifle and weaken the national youth structure on the altar of personal and primordial considerations.

“We believe that the strength of our party lies not only in its electoral victories, but also in its respect for established institutions, internal democracy, justice, fairness and the rule of law.

“It is against this backdrop that we declare our unflinching support for the APC national youth leader and reaffirm our commitment to protecting the integrity of his office in the overall interest of the party and Nigerian youths,” he said.

Attah stressed the need for youths within the party to work in unity to ensure the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and APC candidates at all levels in the forthcoming general elections.

He particularly called on young people to close ranks, unite behind Isreal and de-escalate tensions within the party.

“We also call on all to respect the party’s internal processes and refrain from actions that could deepen divisions within its fold, as we head into the thick of the campaign season.

“Our focus should be on uniting to deliver President Tinubu and ensure his re-election in 2027, not internal warfare,” he said.

He called on the party’s stakeholders to refrain from actions, statements or manoeuvres capable of casting unnecessary doubt on the legitimacy of the authority of the APC national youth leader.

Attah further charged them to shun actions that could encourage parallel claims to authority outside the party’s recognised processes.

He advised that where any matter required clarification or resolution, it should be referred to the appropriate party authorities, saying this was the surest way to protect institutional credibility, promote fairness and prevent avoidable disputes from escalating.

“Our unequivocal support for Dayo Isreal is also a statement of principle: that party structures must be respected, due process must be upheld, and the integrity of the APC’s youth leadership must be preserved.

“We have closely observed the activities of Isreal over the years and we make bold to say he has performed creditably,” he said.

Attah listed some of Isreal’s achievements to include: establishment of the APC Youth House and Nest Resource Centre, which had pioneered digital skills and capacity building and vocational trainings and empowerment programmes for youths.

“We have also seen the strategic youth engagement initiative, tagged: “Renewed Hope Conversations” launched in tertiary institutions which bridged the gap between the Federal Government and young Nigerians,” he said.

The forum’s national publicity secretary stated that this had brought students, policy makers and senior government officials into the same room to throw light on government policies and garner feedbacks.

He added that more than 100 youths and some youth leaders across the country had benefited from several overseas capacity building and training programmes over the past two years under Isreal’s leadership.

He said this was in an attempt to address the strident agitation for improved reward system within the party’s youth wing (NAN)

EEM/WAS

Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq