National Youth Council Adopts Jonathan As Candidate For April Polls

SAN FRANCISCO, March 29, (THEWILL) - Over 60 million Nigerian youths under the auspices of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has unequivocally adopted the candidacy of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for the April 9, 2011 presidential election.

According to National President of the Council, Mr. Ajani James, who led an expanded delegation of national executives on a courtesy call to President Jonathan in State House today, “having painstakingly understudied the policy direction of Mr. President, his agenda for youth empowerment and development, his humanistic philosophy, his campaign disposition especially total abhorrence for violence, and enduring commitment to electoral integrity, we unanimously adopt the candidacy of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR for the April 9, 2011 presidential polls. By this adoption, youth leaders across the nation are directed to massively mobilize youths and vote for the Goodluck/Sambo ticket.”

The leadership of the Youth Council, which comprised mostly of voluntary youth organizations, ethnic youth groups and faith-based organizations commended the “visionary and purposeful” leadership of President Jonathan and urged the president not to relent in implementing various laudable programmes for youth empowerment.

“Mr. President never preached violence during your campaigns. This is an indication that President Jonathan has the youths of this nation at heart because violence affects the youths directly,” Mr. James noted.

President Jonathan was later decorated as grand patron of the Council and presented with the “National Youth Manifesto 2011-2015,” a document representing the views and aspirations of Nigerian youths and meant to be implemented by political leaders at all levels of governance.

President Jonathan, in response, thanked the National Youth Council for adopting his candidacy for the April presidential election and commended youth leaders for the maturity and decorum displayed by Nigerian youths in recent times.

He said his administration will not play politics with youth development, noting that “if this country will achieve greatness, it is in the hands of the youths.”

President Jonathan said as part of his administration’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerian youths particularly in their formative years, plans are underway to improve on hostel facilities in all universities across the nation.

The President urged Nigerian youths to make more sacrifices so that Nigeria can catch up with and overtake the Asian tigers which used to be at par with Nigeria in terms of development indices in the past.