APC Stakeholders Warn Against Moves to Undermine National Youth Leader

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Young Stakeholders Forum has warned against attempts to undermine the office of the national youth leader or create parallel centres of authority within the party’s youth structure.

The party’s young stakeholders also passed a vote of confidence in the party’s National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, while defending his role in facilitating the provision of campaign vehicles for selected youth leaders.

They described the initiative as a morale booster ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The group stated its position at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Shehu Attah.

It said the party’s strength depended on respect for established institutions, internal democracy, fairness, and the rule of law.

Describing its members as founding APC members drawn from the six geopolitical zones, the forum alleged that some vested interests were attempting to weaken the party’s national youth structure for personal reasons.

According to the statement, more than 100 party youths and youth leaders had benefited from overseas capacity-building and training programmes facilitated by Israel over the past two years.
It cited the establishment of the APC Youth House and Nest Resource Centre, digital skills training, vocational programmes, town hall meetings, and empowerment initiatives as other achievements under Israel’s leadership.

The forum also highlighted the Renewed Hope Conversations initiative in tertiary institutions, which it said brought students, policymakers, and senior government officials together to discuss government policies and gather feedback from young Nigerians.

The group said the initiatives were intended to address concerns about inadequate rewards and opportunities for young party members.

On the mobilisation vehicles, it commended Israel for facilitating the provision of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) for selected youth leaders, following an earlier distribution of buses.

“This has sent a strong signal within the youth wing that the era of ‘monkey dey work, baboon dey chop’ is gone with the wind,” the statement said.

It added that the initiative would encourage youth leaders to intensify mobilisation in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

The forum warned stakeholders against actions capable of provoking tensions or undermining the authority of the National Youth Leader.

“Political ambition and personal disagreements must never become excuses for disregarding party institutions,” it said, urging aggrieved members to resolve disputes through established party procedures.

It called on APC youth leaders and members to rally behind Israel and focus on preparations for the 2027 elections, while referring grievances to the appropriate party authorities.

‘Respect the Office, Not Just the Occupant’

Speaking after the press conference, the forum’s convener, Segun Tomori, said the issues surrounding the office of the National Youth Leader predated the controversy over the vehicles.

“We have seen what appears to be a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of the National Youth Leader. Our position is that although the office is occupied by an individual, the institution itself must be respected,” he said.

Tomori, who described forum members as veterans and founding APC members drawn from legacy parties, including the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), urged aggrieved members to channel their complaints through the appropriate party organs.

He also urged party youths to concentrate on campaigning for Tinubu’s re-election and promoting the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Another forum member from Imo State, Hon. Gerald Chinonso Nworisa, said the controversy extended beyond the vehicles, citing international training opportunities facilitated for young party members in China, Ghana, and other countries.

“I can categorically tell you that this is not just about vehicles,” Nworisa said.

He disclosed that he had not received a vehicle, adding that the impact of Israel’s initiatives mattered more than whether every member benefited directly.

Nworisa described attempts to divide the party ahead of the elections as counterproductive and advised those dissatisfied with Israel’s leadership to seek redress through the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

He said protecting the office was important because its authority would remain relevant to future occupants beyond Israel’s tenure.

Vehicles to Boost Grassroots Mobilisation

Dr Dominic Alancha, another forum member, defended the provision of campaign vehicles, saying they would help youth leaders reach communities and mobilise voters ahead of the 2027 elections.

He argued that effective mobilisation required adequate transportation, particularly for leaders expected to cover constituencies, wards, and polling units.

“This is a campaign season, and you cannot expect these leaders to mobilise voters across their constituencies without adequate mobility,” he said.

Alancha said votes were spread across rural communities and other grassroots locations, not just major cities. He described the vehicles as an effort to improve the reward system within the party’s youth wing, adding that beneficiaries were expected to translate the support into electoral gains for the APC.

“Those who have received the vehicles have been empowered to deliver results, and we expect them to deliver 100 per cent,” he said.

‘Private Businessmen Provided Vehicles’

The forum’s Contact and Mobilisation Director, Bukie Okambe, said the Prado vehicles at the centre of the controversy were reportedly provided by private businessmen rather than the government.

She added that many of those who facilitated the provision of the vehicles were not politicians, urging party members to hear Israel’s side of the story before reaching conclusions.

“We need to understand his side of the story before taking a position on the matter,” Okambe said.

She alleged that Israel often had to seek financial support outside the party because of inadequate assistance from within its ranks.

Okambe also cited overseas training opportunities facilitated for young people, including trips to China, London, and Ghana. She said the APC Youth House had provided employment opportunities for some young people who were not necessarily party members.

She warned that internal disagreements could undermine the party’s re-election efforts and urged stakeholders to set aside personal differences.

Forum to Promote Government Programmes

The forum’s secretary, Hon. Olabisi Fatimah Akorede, said the group planned to engage young Nigerians on government programmes designed to improve access to education and other opportunities.

She cited interventions by the Ministry of Education and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which she said were helping students who might otherwise struggle to finance their education.

Akorede also highlighted initiatives by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to support out-of-school children and people affected by humanitarian crises in the North-East.

She said the forum would inform young Nigerians about the programmes and explain how they could benefit from them.

The forum members reiterated their call for unity within the APC, urging party youths to support Israel’s office and channel grievances through recognised party structures ahead of the 2027 elections.