Jonathan, others boycott youth conference

A former President, Goodluck Jonathan, and an ex-Vice President, Namadi Sambo, were yesterday absent at the first PDP National Youth Conference held at the Yar’adua Centre in Abuja.

Similarly, Chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; a former Senate President, David Mark; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and many serving and former governors invited for the event did not attend.

Also, with the exception of Chief Raymond Dokpesi, all aspirants for the office of PDP national chairman whose names and pictures were printed in the programme of events failed to attend.

One of the organisers of the conference, who doubles as PDP North Central Zonal Youth Leader, Hon. Aruwa Ismaila, said all those who failed to attend sent in apologies, explaining that they had series of party engagements.

Chairman of the occasion and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Baba Shehu Agaie, who was the only one on the high table, was later joined by a former Member of the House of Representatives, Auwal Tukur; a former House of Representatives Leader, Mulikat Akande, and two others.

Addressing the gathering, Agaie expressed optimism that the PDP youths had all it took to mobilise for the party’s takeover of power in 2019.

The essence of the event was to rub minds with party leaders and elders on how to reclaim power in future elections.