Youths storm Abuja, task Buhari on campaign promises

It was a missed grill of youth receptivity for homecoming President Mohammadu Buhari, on Tuesday in Abuja, as different youth groups welcomed him back to the country with divergent demands.

While youths, under the aegis of Nigeria Youth Council (NYC), marched in their hundreds through major streets in Abuja to welcome the president back from his vacation in the United Kingdom, asking him to immediately fulfil his campaign promises made to Nigerians, the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) in collaboration with Partners for Electoral Reform (PER) and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAG) has dragged him to the Federal High Court, Abuja, for his undue delay in appointing Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in 33 states of the federation.

The factional chairman of the NYC, Mr. Murtala Garba, who led the youths to the office of the Minister of Sports and Youths Development, specifically demanded that the president delivers on his campaign promise to provide three million jobs annually.

The protesting youths also called on the federal government not to relent in its anti-corruption war.

He said: “We are here in the canopy of our dear Minister of Youths, passing a message to our dear President.

“We are still with him, he should continue fighting corruption, we say no to corruption.

“He should continue uniting the country and as he promised Nigerian youths; every year, three million Jobs, we want this promise to be fulfilled,” the youth leader stated.

In the legal suit by the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) in collaboration with Partners for Electoral Reform (PER) and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAG), the group is seeking an order that will compel the president to perform all important constitutional duty of appointing RECs to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Addressing journalists in Abuja on the issue, the Programme Manager of YIAGA, Ms. Cynthia Mbamalu observed that INEC has not been availed of the human capacity it requires for the successful conduct of the 2019 general election following the delay in constituting its management structure at the state level.

She argued that Mr. President’s reluctance to fully constitute INEC by appointing the RECs was setting the stage for the 2019 election to fail.

Again, president Buhari’s inaction on this issue is contrary to the spirit of the constitution and his oath if office, Mbamalu, added.

She further pointed out that section 153 and 14(1) and (2), third schedule of the 1999 constitution (as amended), vested the president with powers to appoint the National. Commissioners and RECs for each state of the federation subject to confirmation by the Senate.

The danger this delayed appointment poses to the electoral process are enormous saying, the commission cannot function optimally without the full complement of its members at the state level.

Supporting the foregoing view, the chairman, Partners for Electoral Reform, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu, said that the group gives Mr. President two weeks’ ultimatum to make the appointment. Or face the wrath of Nigerians.

He expressed fear that the proactive disposition of INEC to ensure proper planning ahead of the e 2019 election may be thwarted by the inaction of President Buhari to appoint the 33 RECs with less than 23 months to the election.