THE coordinator of the Islamic Youth League (IYL) in Oyo State, Imam Moshood Abeeb, has called on youths in Nigeria to resist attempt by politicians to use them for selfish gains in the forthcoming 2023 general election.
Abeeb made this call on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the league held recently in Sango, Ibadan.
He said: “In recent years, the youth of Nigeria have found expression in different positive fields that have earned Nigeria international accolades and recognitions. I humbly request that the youth bring such status and influence to bear on the election.
“They should mobilise and ensure that votes of the electorate count and their mandate stand. They should reject political mentors who are bent on arming them for destruction. They should show that they have come of age and cannot be used for selfish political goals so that they will be reckoned with in the next dispensation when they are expected to have their say in the advancement of democracy in the country.”
Imam Abeeb said the IYL had made considerable impacts in its 70 years of existence and gave the assurance that the body would not relent on rendering services to humanity.
“As an organisation, we teach the members about their duties to Allah, the Creator, to themselves as individuals and to their fellow human beings without religious discrimination,” he stated.
Imam Abeeb, who joined the league in 1970, said the body had succeeded in building mosques at the Government College, Ibadan and the School of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo State, a maternity clinic in Iwo, Osun State during the era of the Western Region as well as being on the board of management of the Ibadan Home for Motherless Babies.
He expressed the hope that by the time the IYL marks its centenary, the league would have more achievements to point at.