VP Osinbajo Backs Quotas For Young APC Aspirants

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has expressed support for
the request by young aspirants under the platform of All
Progressives Congress (APC) to be given quotas in elective
offices.

Osinbajo’s stance was communicated in a statement by Laolu
Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and
Publicity, Office of the Vice President on Thursday in Abuja.

The vice president had on Wednesday night met with young
aspirants under the platform of APC at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.

Osinbajo commended Nigeria’s youths for their desire to
contribute to nation building in their various constituencies
through active involvement in politics.

He called on them to make needed sacrifices to ensure the ideals
they want to see in the country were realised.

“We are in a place where we are the ones who can make the
difference; nothing is going to change overnight, but we can make
efforts to change the process.

“We can do a lot more, but it depends on our commitment. I like
the idea of young people getting a quota in the party structure to
run for office on some level, such as the state houses of
Assembly.

“Some of the aspirants had earlier raised the issue of allowing
quotas to young people in elective offices.

“It is up to us to fight at every stage to see the ideals that
we desire; we will win, in the end, if we are consistent.

“ Our party is stronger if our young people are determined to
make a change and a difference, even from within.

“We would see what can be done to ensure that women and youths
are more involved in party politics.”

Osinbajo noted that the country’s future depended on the
commitment of young people who were willing to play their part and
make positive differences.

He said that it was important to encourage young people to
participate at all levels of the party.

The vice president said the courage of the young aspirants was
exceptional for aspiring to run for offices in a country of about
200 million people.

“Having gone this far in the game; that you are not just sitting
down at home, not just getting upset with yourself on Social
Media.

“You are putting your money, resources and your time where your
mouth is.

“So, consider yourself in very exceptional company. This is a
group of people who have not lost hope, but are very determined to
ensure that things work.”

Osinbajo added that young people should not lose hope in the
country as things would continue to change for the better if they
remained committed to the ideals.

He said he strongly believed that the future of the party
depended on people who were committed to building a party that was
based on ideals that were deemed important.

“As a young person, I belonged to several pressure groups. I
graduated at the age of 21.

“And when I graduated, I began to participate in various
pressure groups, human rights organisations, anti-corruption, civil
society groups of every kind.

“When political parties started forming, we could not aspire,
but we remained involved. My first involvement in government was
when I was appointed as Attorney General in Lagos State.

“For seven years – after serving as Lagos Attorney-General – I
was part of the party, I did not have a board appointment or
anything, but I kept working for the party.

I kept working for the party as a lawyer. Most of those cases we
were not paid a dime. But we went from place to place.

“Sometimes we didn’t even have a place to stay when we went to
court the next morning. So, there is a measure of paying the price,
it depends on how serious or committed we are to some of the things
we say we are committed to,” he said.

Osinbajo further called on young people to stay committed and
remain within the party to help to build the party structures.

He said that he believed that, in party politics, faithful must
go beyond positions, whether elective or appointed, but must be
committed to something, the principles and beliefs of those who
were the forebears of that party.

Young aspirants in APC across the country who attended the
meeting on Wednesday night had requested for audience with the Vice
President ahead of the forthcoming party primaries.

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has expressed support for
the request by young aspirants under the platform of All
Progressives Congress (APC) to be given quotas in elective
offices.

Osinbajo’s stance was communicated in a statement by Laolu
Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and
Publicity, Office of the Vice President on Thursday in Abuja.

The vice president had on Wednesday night met with young
aspirants under the platform of APC at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.

Osinbajo commended Nigeria’s youths for their desire to
contribute to nation building in their various constituencies
through active involvement in politics.

He called on them to make needed sacrifices to ensure the ideals
they want to see in the country were realised.

“We are in a place where we are the ones who can make the
difference; nothing is going to change overnight, but we can make
efforts to change the process.

“We can do a lot more, but it depends on our commitment. I like
the idea of young people getting a quota in the party structure to
run for office on some level, such as the state houses of
Assembly.

“Some of the aspirants had earlier raised the issue of allowing
quotas to young people in elective offices.

“It is up to us to fight at every stage to see the ideals that
we desire; we will win, in the end, if we are consistent.

“ Our party is stronger if our young people are determined to
make a change and a difference, even from within.

“We would see what can be done to ensure that women and youths
are more involved in party politics.”

Osinbajo noted that the country’s future depended on the
commitment of young people who were willing to play their part and
make positive differences.

He said that it was important to encourage young people to
participate at all levels of the party.

The vice president said the courage of the young aspirants was
exceptional for aspiring to run for offices in a country of about
200 million people.

“Having gone this far in the game; that you are not just sitting
down at home, not just getting upset with yourself on Social
Media.

“You are putting your money, resources and your time where your
mouth is.

“So, consider yourself in very exceptional company. This is a
group of people who have not lost hope, but are very determined to
ensure that things work.”

Osinbajo added that young people should not lose hope in the
country as things would continue to change for the better if they
remained committed to the ideals.

He said he strongly believed that the future of the party
depended on people who were committed to building a party that was
based on ideals that were deemed important.

“As a young person, I belonged to several pressure groups. I
graduated at the age of 21.

“And when I graduated, I began to participate in various
pressure groups, human rights organisations, anti-corruption, civil
society groups of every kind.

“When political parties started forming, we could not aspire,
but we remained involved. My first involvement in government was
when I was appointed as Attorney General in Lagos State.

“For seven years – after serving as Lagos Attorney-General – I
was part of the party, I did not have a board appointment or
anything, but I kept working for the party.

I kept working for the party as a lawyer. Most of those cases we
were not paid a dime. But we went from place to place.

“Sometimes we didn’t even have a place to stay when we went to
court the next morning. So, there is a measure of paying the price,
it depends on how serious or committed we are to some of the things
we say we are committed to,” he said.

Osinbajo further called on young people to stay committed and
remain within the party to help to build the party structures.

He said that he believed that, in party politics, faithful must
go beyond positions, whether elective or appointed, but must be
committed to something, the principles and beliefs of those who
were the forebears of that party.

Young aspirants in APC across the country who attended the
meeting on Wednesday night had requested for audience with the Vice
President ahead of the forthcoming party primaries.