APC Youth Stakeholders Back Dayo Israel, Warn Against Undermining His Office
Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Young Stakeholders Forum has passed a vote of confidence on the party’s National Youth Leader, Hon. Dayo Israel, warning against attempts to undermine his office or create parallel centres of influence within the party.
The forum also defended Israel’s facilitation of campaign mobilization vehicles for selected youth leaders, describing the initiative as part of efforts to improve the reward system within the party’s youth wing ahead of the 2027 general election.
The forum stated this in a press conference addressed by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Shehu Attah, at the Progressive Institute, Garki, Abuja, on Thursday.
It expressed concern over what it described as persistent attempts by some vested interests to weaken the party’s national youth structure for personal and other considerations.
The forum, comprising young stakeholders and founding members of the APC across the six geopolitical zones, said the party’s strength depended not only on electoral victories but also on respect for established institutions, internal democracy, fairness and the rule of law.
It commended Israel for establishing the APC Youth House and Nest Resource Centre, which it said had pioneered digital skills development, capacity building and vocational training, alongside town hall meetings and empowerment programmes.
The forum also highlighted the Renewed Hope Conversations initiative launched in tertiary institutions, describing it as a platform for bridging the gap between the Federal Government and young Nigerians by bringing students, policymakers and senior government officials together to discuss government policies and obtain feedback.
According to the forum, more than 100 party youths and some youth leaders across the country have benefited from overseas capacity-building and training programmes over the past two years.
It said the programmes were among efforts to address demands for an improved reward system within the party’s youth wing.
The forum further commended Israel for facilitating campaign mobilisation vehicles for selected youth leaders and distributing buses to others, saying the initiatives would encourage young party members to work for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
“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.
The forum warned that attempts to weaken the office of the National Youth Leader through factional manoeuvres or personal power struggles would be resisted.
It urged aggrieved party members to channel their complaints through appropriate party authorities rather than engage in actions capable of provoking tensions or deepening divisions.
The forum acknowledged that disagreements and competing interests were normal in a large political organisation such as the APC but maintained that such differences should be resolved through established procedures.
It called on APC youths nationwide to close ranks behind Israel and focus on mobilizing support for Tinubu’s re-election rather than engaging in internal disputes.