Anyim Named Patron, To Mobilise Southern Youths For Tinubu’s Re-election

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, the Coalition of Southern Nigeria Youth Groups for Asiwaju 2027 (COSONYGA-2027), has decorated former Senate President Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, as its national patron.
The coalition is the umbrella body for youth groups in the 17 southern states in support of the reelection of President Tinubu.

The ceremony held in Abuja on Thursday, was attended by a high-powered delegation from the coalition headed by its executive director, Rt. Hon. Rikki Nwajiofor. He also serves as the Hon. Speaker of the Ndigbo Youth Parliament (NYP).
While decorating Anyim as the coalition’s patron, Nwajiofor described the former Senate president as “a political stalwart with an untainted political history worthy of emulation.

“The task ahead of us, as a coalition clamouring for the reelection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is onerous, especially for those of us from the South-East. We are aware of the challenges involved, but we are ready and willing to engage our youths, especially those at the grassroots, having you strongly behind us as our national patron.

“Our engagements are devoid of confrontation and blind polarisation along ethnic and religious lines. Our engagements are based on constructive policy discussions and sensitisation. We must sensitise the youths at the grassroots about the transformative reforms of this administration and how they benefit young Nigerians and the nation at large. Some of them are unaware of many youth empowerment programmes initiated and currently executed under this administration of President Tinubu, such as NiYA – Nigerian Youth Academy; 3MTT – 3 Million Technical Talents; NELFUND – National Education Loan Fund; LEEP – Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme; SUPA – Skill-Up Artisans Programme; YEIDEP – Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Development Empowerment Programme; IDiCE – Digital & Creative Enterprises; NATEP – National Youth Talent Export Programme, and many more,’ he said.

The group told Anyim that he is among the few political leaders in Nigeria who have no case file with the anti-graft agencies.
Nwajiofor said Anyim served Nigeria passionately and patriotically.
He continued, “You stabilised the Nigerian Senate when it was in political quagmire, as the then president of the Senate. You are a political role model to so many of us. We nominated you as our national patron owing to your unbeatable track records.

“Today, we decorate you and present to you the certificate of conferment as the National Patron of the Coalition of Southern Nigeria Youth Groups for Asiwaju 2027 (COSONYGA-2027), in recognition of your towering stature in Nigerian politics, your exemplary leadership credentials, and your unwavering commitment to national unity, development, and progressive governance,” Nwajiofor stated.

In his response, Anyim appreciated the coalition for choosing as uts national patron. He emphasised that his support for President Tinubu is borne out of his conviction that the Nigerian leader is a great reformer who has the interest of the next generation at heart.

“It was James Freeman Clarke who asserted that ‘a politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of the next generation’. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a patriot and a statesman who thinks of the next generation and whose reforms and policies are not short-term oriented. His reforms and policies are geared towards a better Nigeria, in the interest of the young people and the next generation. This underscores my reason for standing with him and giving him my unalloyed support. He is a great reformer who sees beyond the immediate gain.

“I wholeheartedly accept this role and task you have bestowed on me. However, you should know that you have a great task at hand. You are here because you are enlightened and can understand the reasons behind the various policies and reforms under this administration. There are millions of young people and Nigerians out there at the grassroots, who are not as enlightened as you are and are not able to understand the reasons behind the initiated policies and reforms. Your task is to go and enlighten them,” he said.