Kwara speaker urges Nigerian youths to retire old politicians

Speaker of the Kwara state House of Assembly, Danladi Salihu, has called on Nigerian youths to retire the old politicians in order to effect the desired change.

Salihu made the call in his reaction to the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the March 14 by-election into the Patigi Constituency of the state House of Assembly.

The speaker said that since there is no retirement age in politics, the youths should initiate a way to retire the old politicians, asserting that “in terms of politicking, we, the youth need to stand up on our feet. We are lagging behind. We must therefore, come up and take charge.

“In politics, there is no retirement age; then youths must find an initiative of how to retire the senior ones.’’

The 35-year-old speaker urged journalists to assist in preparing the youth for national assignments.

“Journalists will also need to assist us in building the Nigerian youths. It is journalists that can do it. I know some of you are also interested in politics, please come and join us and go back to your constituency to contest,” he added.

This, he explained is a message ahead of the 2023 general elections that the youth must take charge of all the 24 seats at the state House of Assembly and the six House of Representatives seats from the state.

He decried the low rate of youth seeking political offices, saying that “when you see the population at the polling units, it is youth and women that go to vote.

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“But unfortunately, youths and women are not doing the right thing when it comes to seeking for political offices. For instance, there is no single woman among the 24 elected members of the state House of Assembly.

“So, it is very bad. I call on the Nigerian youths and Kwaran youths that we must stand up on our feet and ensure that this change we are talking about is achieved.

“It is not the elders that will bring the change. Youth nowadays believe in civil service jobs rather than political participation.”