2023: Waive Nomination Fees For Youths, Saraki’s Panel Tells PDP

The National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has recommended measures that would encourage youths active participation in politics.
The NRSC being led by a former Senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki, has specifically advised the PDP leadership to allow any aspirant below 35 years, seeking to contest elective position on the platform of the party to be exempted from the payment of nomination fees.
The recommendation is contained in a one-page letter dated March 25, 2021, signed by Saraki and addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.
The committee also advised the National Working Committee (NWC) to immediately recommend to the National Executive Committee (NEC) that the party constitution be amended to that effect.
The letter states that, “only persons not less than 18 years old and not more than 35 years can contest for the position of Youth Leader at all levels of the party structure – wards, local government, state and national”.
The committee explained that the recommendation was a result of the meeting it held with the party’s National Youth Leader and other youth leaders across the 36 states of the nation on March 9, 2021.
“In furtherance of its mandate to resolve disputes, reconcile aggrieved members and foster cohesion and unity within the party,” the letter added.
The youths, the committee noted, presented some requests during the meeting and the demands were deliberated upon by the committee on March 22, 2021, following which the two-point recommendations contained in the letter were agreed upon.