The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s call on youths not to contest the 2019 presidential election with him, but to wait till 2023.
In response to the President’s admonition, the PDP said on the contrary, nothing stops the youths from taking a shot at the Presidency in 2019.
The party, in a statement on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said President Buhari’s position was in line with the policy of the All Progressives Congress(APC), not to allow young people aspire to top positions in the country.
It accused President Buhari and the ruling APC of frustrating the active participation of youths and women in active politics and governance.
The opposition party said, “It is unimaginable that a President can sign a law and immediately seek to suspend it. President Buhari’s attempt to talk down on and intimidate the youths from contesting against him in 2019 shows that he is not in support of the Not Too Young To Run law and only assented to it because he had no other option under the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“We therefore urge Nigerians to be alert and wary of booby traps as well as land mines that the APC and the Presidency will set on the way to scuttle the quest for our youths to fully participate and aspire in our democratic process”.
The PDP called on youths in the country to rally the opposition in the task to rescue the country from the grip of the APC in the next general election.
The party noted that President Buhari and the ruling party have shown that they have nothing to offer the youths, and as such should be rejected in the 2019 elections.
Also reacting to the President’s message, the National Youth Leader of the PDP, Mr. Sunday Ude-Okoye, said the would continue to champion the cause of young persons in the country.
Ude-Okoye, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Friday observed that the PDP appointed many young persons into sensitive positions during its 16 years reign.
According to him, the party would continue to run a youth friendly government if voted back to power in 2019.