2023 Polls: Yiaga Africa, NoTTooYoungToRun Movement To Kick-Off Convergence 4.0 for Young Candidates
- Yiaga Africa and the NotTooYoungToRun movement have announced the commencement of Convergence 4.0 in Kano state, Nigeria
- Kano will play host to the largest gathering of young political candidates vying for offices at the forthcoming 2023 general election
- The event will commence between Tuesday, 29 to Wednesday, 30 November, with the theme: ‘Leadership, Politics & Elections'
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FCT, Abuja - Ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general election, the foremost electoral observer group, Yiaga Africa and the NotTooYoungToRun movement have announced the commencement of the fourth edition of The Convergence.
Yiaga Africa made this known via a statement signed by its executive director Samson Itodo and made available to Legit.ng on Sunday, November 27.
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The convergence is regarded as the largest gathering of young political candidates running for public office in the forthcoming general elections.
As announced by Yiaga Africa, this year’s Convergence 4.0 will be staged in Kano state between Tuesday, 29 to Wednesday, 30 November with the theme: ‘Leadership, Politics & Elections’ and supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
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Itodo revealed that the event aims to empower and prepare young northern candidates to run successfully in the next general elections.
He said:
"The Convergence 4.0 is a space for emerging political leaders who are committed to transformational public leadership to reflect, engage, and build generational solidarity in their quest to run for elective office.
"The conference is designed to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and networks for running effective issues-based campaigns and winning elections. With the inspiration, knowledge, and solidarity The Convergence series provides, these young candidates will be able to navigate the challenges of campaigning, mobilising finances, securing stakeholder support, and managing electoral operations."
Convergence 4.0 to feature plenary sessions, masterclasses and others
As contained in the statement, the event will feature keynote speeches, masterclasses, plenary sessions, political fairs, and clinics.
It will also feature experts drawn from academia, civil society, professional bodies, relevant tiers of government, political parties, and the diplomatic corps.
The executive director revealed that there would also be conversation-styled sessions and masterclasses/clinics on Ideologically-driven leadership; Campaign structuring and money politics; Election law and adjudication; Electoral operations, and dirty politics.
He said:
"The 2023 elections will be the second election cycle since the Not Too Young To Run Bill was passed into law, and expanded the space for youth political participation in Nigeria as candidates for elective offices.
"The landmark law not only made it possible for young people to contest for offices they hitherto could not on account of their ages, but it also injected vigor and competition into the 2019 elections with the increase in youth aspirants and candidates. Importantly, it put youth candidacy and the need for more young people in governance and decision-making as a central issue in that election cycle."
Itodo further revealed that the Not Too Young To Run movement is the leading citizen's movement on political inclusion and transformative politics.
He said the movement believes democracy thrives where individuals with capacity, competence and character drive public governance.
He said a solid commitment to responsive, accountable, and innovative public leadership underpins the organisations' advocacy for inclusive politics.
2023: Yiaga Africa train, deploy 882 long term observers for pre-election observation
In another development, preparations are ongoing ahead of the crucial general elections slated for February 2023.
The foremost electoral observer group, Yiaga Africa, on Wednesday, November 16, announced that it had deployed its observers across the federation.
These observers are expected to monitor and report threats of electoral ills like voter inducement, violence, and a host of others.
Source: Legit.ng
