City Boy Movement tells Nigerian youths to promote country, avoid election violence
A youth group, the City Boy Movement, has advised young Nigerians to deploy their online and offline platforms to burnish the country's reputation and to stay away from violence during elections.
The call was made by Olatunde Igbasan, the movement's West Africa Director, who also introduced himself as the Director General of the APC Youth Network West Africa. He spoke during an Independence Day walk held to mark Nigeria's 66th Independence anniversary and the APC Youth Week in West Africa.
Igbasan said young people should wield their influence for constructive purposes instead of engaging in acts that could tarnish Nigeria's image.
"We can use our platform for different things, to promote our nation, rather than to demarcate the country you have come from," he said.
He threw his weight behind the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying the government had introduced changes that Nigerians abroad could feel.
"We have past presidents. We have leaders that have come and gone. Nothing has changed so far. But this present president, things have really changed a lot in the diaspora for us," he said.
Igbasan asked youths to back Tinubu for another term, saying continuity would enable ongoing projects and programmes to be carried through.
"I believe this is the time for us to give our president the opportunity for the second time so that what he is doing, the implementation that he is doing," Igbasan said.
Turning to infrastructure, he described roads and other development projects as vital to national growth.
"You cannot build this nation without infrastructure," he said, pointing to South Africa and China as countries where infrastructure had helped drive development.
Igbasan also urged young Nigerians who are eligible to vote to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and to take part in elections peacefully.
"The PVC has come. Go to your ward. Go and get your PVC," he said.
He advised youths to leave polling areas once they have voted, warning that lingering there could expose them to violence.
"On the day of the election, the moment you cast your vote, please go home," he said.
He further warned young Nigerians against being recruited by politicians or activists for violent protests.
"Those people telling you to stay there, when this riot comes, they went back to their houses. Their children are not in this country," he said.
Igbasan encouraged youths who are unhappy with government policies to join politics and contribute their skills to national development.
"If you said the government is not doing well, come and join the party. You must belong to a society. Show your skill," he said.
He asked young Nigerians to apply their education and expertise in areas such as transportation and mining.
"What you have learned in school, bring it on board. You have to start now," he said.
Igbasan also said Nigerians should help tackle the country's problems rather than confine themselves to criticising those in power.
"We understand that we cannot get everything 100%. But then you don't need to go out there and say this person is not good," he said.
He ended by urging continued backing for the Tinubu administration.
"In as much as he is on the throne, we need to support him to finish what he is doing," Igbasan said.
Also speaking at the walk, the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Civic Engagement, Ruth Ayomide, backed Tinubu and challenged opposition aspirants to give an account of their records in previous public offices.
Ayomide said the walk was meant to celebrate national unity, progress and prosperity, and to encourage young people to take part in civic and political activities.
"We planned the walk in favour of celebrating the unity, the progress and the prosperity of the country," she said.
She described her participation as part of her civic responsibility in Lagos State and of mobilisation efforts.
"As the SSA Civic Engagement, it is part of our civic responsibility in Lagos State and also as part of mobilisation," she said.
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