2023: Nigerian Youths To Give Osinbajo ‘5 Million Votes’ As 57 Groups Declare Support

Although Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has yet to declare his intention to run for president in 2023, a coalition of 57 youth groups have promised to rally “at least five million youths” to vote for him in the next presidential election.

Should Osinbajo decide to join the race, he would be prepared to battle the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu — APC’s acclaimed national leader who had just declared for the 2023 presidency.

Osinbajo’s supposed 2023 presidential bid received a boost on Monday as the National Coalition of Youth and Students (NACOYS), comprising 57 youth groups, declared its readiness to work for the vice president’s victory should he eventually decide to throw his hat in the ring.

NACOYS’s national coordinator, Barrister Festus Ofume, announced this in a communique issued by the coalition at the end of their meeting with officials of The Progressive Project (TPP) which is the coordinating body for scores of existing and upcoming pro-Osinbajo groups in the country.

It partly reads, “For the future of Nigeria, we firmly believe that the man Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON is the best qualified for the office of the President, especially with his intellectual accomplishment, empathy for the younger generation, understanding of the economy and the fact that he has the experience of being an acting President and Vice President with uncompromised passion to consolidate on the achievements of the last seven years.

“Being the most viable candidate for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we shall, in the best of today’s youth and coming generations, strive towards the election of Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023.

“At our enlarged meeting held at Abuja on the 10″ day of January, 2022, we unanimously endorse Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON as our candidate for the top job of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the 2023 general elections; we came to this conclusion after due consultation nationwide and after a thorough assessment of all he has done over the past seven years.

“Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is not only the best qualified among all the names being mentioned as potential aspirants; he is also the most qualifies in terms of practical potentials towards redressing issues of deep concern such as the rule of law and unemployment; he has consistently demonstrated deep passion for impactful economic policies and we all know a bit about his roles in the Economic Recovery and Growth Project (ERGP) and other policies targeting macro-economic stability and restoration of economic growth,” Ofume stated.

The group further argued that there was need for power to shift from the North to South and the need to pick an experienced and competent person from the north as a running mate.

“We, members of NACOYS and other stakeholders have resolved that Yemi Osinbajo who is a Southerner should succeed President Buhari as the tide is set for the presidency to rotate to the south; in this regard, we know that Mr. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON will select his running mate from the North to balance the political equation and ensure effective representation of the North bur for the national interest and the interest of future generations.

“After scrutinizing the current challenges of the country and the pertinent efforts and roles played by Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON towards containing these challenges, we are firmly confident about his capacity to address all the challenges the country is currently facing, if given the chance to serve in the capacity of Commander in Chief and the Chief Executive Officer of the country.

“After due consideration and a nationwide sampling of opinions among the youths and students across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, we came to the firm conclusion that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON is a well-liked and highly acceptable figure to people across the country; we are in no doubt that he is best qualified to foster national unity and quench the incessant aggressive quest for self-determination and demarcation of Nigeria,” the coalition stated.

The coalition expressed confidence in Osinbajo’s capacity to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty and create vast opportunities for millions of youth in technology-related fields.

The groups include the North Central Youth Assembly of Nigeria (NCYAN), ECOWAS Youth Parliament, Kwara Youth Movement, Association of Northern Nigeria Students and the Arewa Youth And Students Assembly (AYASA).

Others are Arewa Youth Parliament (AYP), National Youth Progressive Front Usman Mubarak, Sir Ahmadu Bello Youth Council of Nigeria (ABYCN), National Association of University Students (NAUS), Nigeria Good Governance And Transparency Initiative and the National Youth Awareness Group.

Others APC National Students Vanguard, Association of Northern Yoruba Students, Arewa Youths Congress of Nigeria, Petroleum Training Institute SUG, Federal Polytechnic Offa SUG, Delta State University Abraka SUG and the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic SUG, amongst others.