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Combined emotions have continued to path fifteen-year-old Mercy Williams’ dive into politics.
A scholar of an undisclosed Lagos secondary college, Williams just lately launched a political assist group below the aegis of Metropolis Boy Progressive Group to advertise the presidential ambition of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
Her father, Friday Williams, was a broadcaster who labored with Faji FM and Jordan earlier than he retired prematurely owing to his well being problem.
Whereas a substantial variety of the APC stalwarts applauded her braveness by beginning politics at an early age, others, together with the Nationwide Publicity Director of the occasion, Bala Ibrahim, frowned upon her motion.
However younger Williams stays defiant and undeterred in her chosen profession path.
In an unique interview with The PUNCH, the Director Common of the Metropolis Boy Progressive Group advised our correspondent that she veered into politics at a young age.
She mentioned, “I acquired drawn to politics on the age of 10. I even campaigned actively for Muhammadu Buhari, who’s our present president. Earlier than then, I’ve been carefully finding out the contribution of Asiwaju Tinubu and his achievements, particularly in Lagos politics. I like every part about him a lot that when he introduced his intention to run for presidency, I used to be motivated to create a bunch this 12 months to rally assist for him.
“I didn’t even know the group might be this huge immediately. We presently have state coordinators in some main states to this point. Even on Fb, our followers minimize throughout the 36 states together with the Federal Capital Territory and the Diaspora. Fairly lots of people have additionally bombarded us with requests to hitch the Metropolis Boy Progressive Group.”
In the meantime, younger Williams has but to fulfill Tinubu in particular person nearly 9 months after she launched the assist group to advertise his ambition.
On why anyone would need to promote a politician she had not met, Williams, who goals of mixing her political profession with performing, mentioned it didn’t matter to her.
“What issues is that I’m able to contribute to his successful the 2023 presidential election. It’s true that I’ve not met him bodily. However I’m eagerly wanting ahead to assembly him earlier than or after the election. That’s as a result of I’m positive he’ll change into the subsequent president of Nigeria,” she said.
When quizzed on how she efficiently registered the group with out the occasion management elevating an eyebrow regarding her age, Williams claimed the registration didn’t warrant her visiting the secretariat in particular person.
When requested in the event that they had been snug with permitting a teenage politician to guide a critical assist group within the build-up to a significant election, the Abuja Coordinator of Metropolis Boy Progressive Group, Pastor Olanrewaju Omolayo, disclosed that it had nothing to do with age.
Whereas describing her as a particular persona, Omolayo disclosed that “Williams has proven up to now that she has the charisma and management expertise to guide.”
The Nationwide Secretary of the group, Aliu Solomon, additionally affirmed his place, when he mentioned solely folks with out progressive minds wouldn’t admire the ideology of Tinubu.
In response to him, the previous Lagos State governor shares the identical philosophy and beliefs because the late former president of the nation, Musa Yar’Adua, and winner of the annulled June 12 election, MKO Abiola.
“For many who have been following Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, they may know he shares the identical ideology as late Yar’Adua and MKO Abiola.
“In the event you comply with the manifesto of every part these folks have labored for, it’s rightly for the progressives, particularly the youth. Within the system immediately in Nigeria, those that are governors within the final 20 years and those that have been presidents haven’t any plan for the youth.
“Thankfully, it was solely Yar’Adua that strove to make a constructive change to the fortune of Nigeria. However everyone knows what occurred to him earlier than he died. I need to imagine that the identical manifesto is what Asiwaju desires to execute,” he mentioned.
APC reacts
Efforts made to succeed in the Nationwide Publicity of the APC, Felix Morka, proved abortive.
However the occasion’s publicity director kicked in opposition to the concept of permitting a teenage to run a political group.
Ibrahim said that other than amounting to abuse of privilege, it might be considered by critics as an try by the APC to recruit underage folks for election.
He said, “Fifteen years is underage. She is a teenage woman and can’t vote or be voted for. She is legally not certified for such a place. Something achieved in that route quantities to abuse of rights. She is being taken care of and can’t maintain anyone.
“If the group is to assist folks in her age bracket, that’s one other factor solely. She might be a guinea pig within the venture. Actually, politics is meant for individuals who can take part. The reality is that if you happen to can not vote, how will you shield and champion the reason for those that can? How are you going to canvass for positions within the occasion if you end up not eligible to vote or be voted for?
“In any other case you’ll have college youngsters filling up the entire place. It has many implications. In any other case, this might be a kind of issues that might be utilized by the opposition. They’ll simply accuse their ruling occasion of utilizing underage folks to vote on the day of election,” he mentioned.
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