Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
A Coalition made up of 28 support groups of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima, as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the party for the 2023 Presidential election.
The APC Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, recently announced former governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate. However, the coalitions, Wednesday, rejected the nomination in a joint statement signed by their leaders.
They demanded the nomination of a young vice presidential candidate, Dr Ibrahim Bello Dauda, and urged the party leadership to hearken to their voice to reaffirm the much touted promise it made on youth inclusion in governance.
The statement read in part: “We, substantive members of Coalition of All Progressives Congress Support Groups here speaking in one voice and unanimously rejecting in totality the recent announcement of former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate to the Presidential Candidate of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Jagaban).
“We call on the Leadership of All Progressives Congress, Progressive Governors Forum and His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to reconsider the choice on running mate of the Party, and give support to the Nigerian Youths’ nomination of a young Vice Presidential Candidate by picking Dr Ibrahim Bello Dauda to whom we all rally round and give all our fullest support nationwide ahead of the 2023 Presidential Election.
“This group is standing firm on “Nigerian Youths Inclusion” and hence urging the APC Leadership to give a space to the youths to exercise their civil rights to actively participate and make a choice of leadership.
“We emphasize on the fact that this coalition of APC support groups has found Dr Ibrahim Bello Dauda, a true detribalised Nigerian youth leader worthy to be the running mate and vice president to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next political dispensation.
“It is worthy of note that Dr Ibrahim Dauda’s catholic gestures has endeared him to all Nigerians (Christians and Muslims alike). He has touched lives beyond religious barriers through all his philanthropic and humanitarian platforms, throughout the length and breadth of our noble nation, Nigeria.
“The ruling APC and its leadership should hearken to the voice of the Nigerian youth now, as this will reaffirm the much touted promise made by the ruling party APC on youth inclusion in governance. And to reassure the youths of the genuineness of the Bill “not too young to run” signed into Law by our youth-friendly and indefatigable APC leader, President Muhammad Buhari GCFR, the party must reconsider its position.”
