The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Young Stakeholders Forum has passed a vote of confidence in the party’s National Youth Leader, Hon. Dayo Israel, warning against alleged attempts to undermine his office through factional manoeuvres and competing claims to authority.
The forum urged party leaders and other stakeholders to respect established party structures and resolve disagreements through recognised channels, insisting that internal power struggles should not distract the ruling party from mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The group made its position known on Thursday at a press conference held at the Progressive Institute, Garki, Abuja, where it reaffirmed its support for Israel’s leadership of the APC youth wing.
In a statement signed by Hon. Shehu Attah on behalf of the forum, the group said the party’s strength depended not only on electoral victories but also on respect for internal democracy, fairness, justice and the rule of law.
“As young stakeholders and founding members of the APC across the six geopolitical zones who have contributed immensely to the electoral triumph of the party since inception, we have watched with consternation the unrelenting attempt by some vested interests to stifle and weaken the national youth structure on the altar of personal and primordial considerations,” the statement said.
The forum described the office of the National Youth Leader as a critical component of the party’s organisational structure, serving as a link between its leadership and young members who contribute to grassroots mobilisation and electoral campaigns.
It warned that allowing personal disagreements and political ambitions to undermine the office could weaken the party’s youth mobilisation structure and send the wrong signal to young Nigerians seeking political inclusion and opportunities.
The group also defended Israel’s record, citing the establishment of the APC Youth House, Nest Resource Centre, which it said had supported digital skills development, vocational training and capacity-building initiatives.
It further highlighted the Renewed Hope Conversations programme launched in tertiary institutions, describing it as a platform for engagement between students, policymakers and senior government officials on federal government policies.
According to the forum, more than 100 party youths and youth leaders across the country have also benefited from overseas capacity-building and training programmes facilitated over the past two years.
The group attributed these initiatives to efforts to strengthen the party’s youth structure and address longstanding concerns about recognition, opportunities and rewards for young party members.
Despite what it described as sustained pressure on his office, the forum said Israel had continued to discharge his responsibilities and make an impact with limited resources.
It therefore called on party stakeholders to refrain from actions, statements or arrangements capable of creating parallel centres of authority outside the APC’s recognised structures.
He added: “Political ambition and personal disagreements must never become excuses for disregarding party institutions. We urge all contending interests to respect the office of the National Youth Leader, refrain from actions capable of provoking needless tension, and allow the party’s recognised structures to function without undue interference.”
The forum also commended Israel for facilitating the distribution of campaign mobilisation vehicles to selected youth leaders, as well as the earlier provision of buses to other members of the youth wing.
It said the initiatives had helped boost morale among young party members and could strengthen their participation in mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general election.
The group declared that any attempt to weaken the office through factional activities or personal power struggles would be resisted, while urging APC youths across the country to close ranks behind the National Youth Leader.
It stressed that the party should prioritise unity and campaign mobilisation rather than internal disputes as preparations for the next general election gather momentum.
While acknowledging that disagreements were inevitable in a large political organisation, the forum maintained that such differences should be addressed through established procedures rather than confrontations or actions capable of deepening divisions.
It consequently appealed to all stakeholders to refer disputes requiring clarification or resolution to the appropriate party authorities, arguing that due process remained the best way to preserve institutional credibility and prevent avoidable tensions.
The forum reiterated that its support for Israel was also a call for the protection of party institutions, respect for established procedures and the preservation of the integrity of the APC’s youth leadership.
