The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has claimed that the proposed national youth conference by the Federal Government is intended as a means to reward President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, and his associates.
Sowore expressed skepticism about the conference, stating that it would not produce any meaningful outcomes.
In his October 1 nationwide address, President Bola Tinubu announced plans to convene a 30-day National Youth Conference to engage young Nigerians in discussions aimed at addressing the challenges they face.
“Considering this, I am pleased to announce the gathering of a National Youth Conference. This conference will be a platform to address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our young people, who constitute more than 60 per cent of our population,” Tinubu had said.
But appearing as a guest on Lunchtime Politics on Wednesday, Sowore stated that the current administration wants to compensate the youths “who are in the corner.”
“The agenda is to compensate some young people who are in their corner. These young people they are calling to a conference are probably Seyi Tinubu’s friends, not Nigerian youths,” he said.
“They cannot afford to have the real youths on the table. If I am invited, I will not go because I know in advance that this is a joke, nothing will come out of this.
“They want young people to feel like, ‘Oh, they belong.’ If you come to a national youth conference, they get it livestreamed, they will get them compensated and at the end of the day, nothing will come out of it.”
Sowore contended that a national conference is unnecessary for youths genuinely aspiring to take over power.
He emphasized that young individuals serious about governance should unite and work collectively to bring their plans to fruition.