APC Youth Leader, Deputy Clash Over ‘Yoruba-Flooded’ Summit List

Dayo Isreal, the national youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is at loggerheads with Jamaldeen Kabir, his deputy over the lists of committees for the party’s youth summit. 

On Monday, Israel came under social media attack after releasing the lists of steering committee members of the party’s upcoming youth summit tagged ‘progressive young leaders summit’ slated for  September 8 and 19,  2022. 

The lists, which critics described as ‘Yoruba dominated’, comprised eight different committees including digital media, accreditation, fundraising, press media, venue management, security, among others. 

In a Facebook post hours after the committee members were inaugurated by Abdullahi Adamu, the party’s chairman, Kabir claimed non-inclusion in the planning of the summit.

The deputy youth leader also said he was not aware and not a party to the event. 

“In this regard, I want to use this medium in my capacity as the deputy national youth leader of our great party the, APC, to inform all our Nigerian Youth, especially those from the 19, Northern States including the FCT, that I’m not aware and not party to any program (APC Youth summit) being organized by the National Youth Leader, as I have no input in it,” Kabir said in a statement. 

But in a response through his Twitter account, Isreal said 21 out of the 37 members of the press and media committee, 19 of the 43 members of the finance committee and 9 out of the 23 members of the accreditation team are all northerners. 

He added that the social media committee members were chosen based on their online capacities to influence opinions and by region or state.

“I have seen the malicious comments made about the committee list that it is a Yoruba list. Pay attention to the press and media comm of 37 people with 21 northerners, finance committee list of 43 people with 19 northerners, the accreditation committee of 23 people with 9 northerners,” Isreal said.

“People have tried to dwell on the social media committee along which is composed of young social media influencers, including Bashir Ahmad and Bashir ElRufai. The media committee are not based on states or region but on capacities as social media influencers and we have tried to spread it between our various upcoming programs. We will carry everyone along. We have many programs coming up and those who are not captured here will be.”