APC chieftain advises Nigerian youths to emulate France president-elect

APC chieftain advises Nigerian youths to emulate France president-elect

- A chieftain of the ruling All Prigressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank has advised Nigerian youths

- Frank was reacting to the emergence of Emmanuel Macron as France's president

- Macron, 39, emerged the country's president in an election that reinforced the role of young people in global politics

A chieftain of the APC, Comrade Timi Frank has said that the emergence of Emmanuel Macron, who will become France’s youngest-ever leader has become a serious challenge to the African youths in general and Nigeria in particular.

Frank believe that the resounding victory of the 39-year-old former investment banker should be a thing of joy and encouragement to the youths in Nigeria, challenging them to stand up for the positions of leadership.

Initial estimates showed Macron winning between 65.5 percent and 66.1 percent of ballots ahead of his closest rival Le Pen on between 33.9 per cent and 34.5 per cent.

Timi Frank urged Nigerian and African youths to be challenged by Macron's electoral victory

In a statement Frank signed on Monday, May 8 in Abuja, he congratulated Macron, the people of France and the country's embassy in Nigeria for a successful election.

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He called on African youths to take the challenge Macron's emergence has brought to them, advising the youths to to come out and join politics to attain political power.

Part of the statement read: "I'm calling on African youths to come out of their comfort zones and be part of one political party or the other. Nobody will give us political power unless we belong to them. African youths are intelligent, many are well educated with abilities to turn things around positively, so it is high time we drop our fears and take a bold step like Macron has done.

"We, the youths may be good at identifying the faults in governance across the continent today but unless we participate and take our fate in our hands, the expected change might not come soon."

He advised the new French president to prove to the world that young people like him could do even better in position of leadership.

While calling on Macron to ensure the unity of France, Comrade Frank also advised the new president, who ran as an independent candidate to carry everybody, including other political parties along in his administration if he will deliver on his promises.

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Meanwhile, the youngest political appointee in the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state, Ovie Success Ossai, is optimistic that a youth will emerge president in Nigeria in the nearest future.

Ossai, who celebrated his 25th birthday in February 2017, told NAIJ.com that though the Nigerian political system appeared unwilling to pave way for youths to emerge as leaders in major areas of influence in the country, he said the emergence of Macron as France president will open a new vista of opportunity for vibrant Nigerian youths.