The Ogun State coordinator of Youths Ask for Goodluck (YAG), Mr Adebayo Adekoya, in this interview with Dare Adekanmbi, speaks on why Nigerian youths are rooting for President Goodluck Jonathan beyond 2011, among other issues. Excerpts:

About 1,000 groups asking President Goodluck Jonathan  to contest in 2011 are going to be merged. What is the fate of your group, Youths Ask for Goodluck?
That there are many pro-Jonathan groups is emblematic of the popularity of the president across the length and breadth of the country. Youths Ask for Jonathan (YAG) has a clear mandate, which is to galvanise Nigerian youths from age 18 years for this cause which has to do with their future. We must rally support for President Jonathan to contest and win in next year’s election.

The youths constitute over 50 per cent of registered voters (in the old register). So, we, the youths, are going to determine who gets what in 2011.

The issue of the fate of YAG in the face of the coming together of all pro-Jonathan groups can be likened to the metaphor of a “bowl of salad” in which you have assorted ingredients like grated carrot, sliced cuccumber and cabbage and the rest. When you mix these together with cream, you have a bowl of delicious salad.

President Jonathan is barely three months plus in office and yet you are calling on him to contest. What is his unique selling attribute?
Evidence that Jonathan is the long-awaited messiah who will lead the country form wilderness to economic El-Dorado abounds everywhere in the economy. For instance, adequate supply of petroleum products has never been so steady in the country, thanks to the president. Also, the prices of the products have fallen - Petrol now sells for N64 a litre in most filling stations, in addition to its regularity.

Within the few months of Jonathan’s leadership, electricity supply has improved. In addition, there has been relative peace in the country, especially in the oil-rich Niger Delta, although there is the challenge of abduction in the South-East. So, when you collate all these, you will see that President Jonathan is a momentous leader in Nigeria’s golden jubilee period.

Your candidate, President Jonathan, has been labelled a green horn in terms of administration. Do you think he stands a better chance in the election?
Every man’s work will speak for him. Some presidential aspirants have led the nation at one time or the other as military rulers and Nigerians still remember what befell them during the interregnums. It is necessary to emphasise here that Nigeria does not need a ruler anymore, but a leader, who will lead the citizens to the promised land. That is the leadership that President Jonathan typifies.

It does not matter the number of aspirants or candidates, Dr Jonathan is the candidate to beat. He has an untainted track record, unlike others who have sold their souls to the devil for chicken feed.

Ibrahim Babangida, for instance, has a lot of albatross on  his neck: he has not answered the question “Who killed Dele Giwa?” He has not explained the disappearance of about $12.4 billion oil windfall; he must also explain why he did not appear before the Oputa Panel of national reconciliation. So for him, there are more questions than there are answers. President Jonathan ranks highest in popularity index among those on the parade.  No way for evil! At the polls next year, he will be put where he belongs - in the chiaroscuro of history.

You coordinate the group in Ogun State. In how many of the 20 local governments do you have offices and what is your numerical strength?
I am from Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State and I can tell you that we have offices in all the 20 local councils of the state. We have coordinators in all the 236 wards of the state. Our numerical strength is huge: an average of 1,200 members per ward and when you multiply that by 236, you have over 280,000 members and we are still counting. Don’t forget that we have senatorial coordinators, state coordinators, zonal coordinators and the national coordinators. Our population is open to investigation by any inquiring mind.

The number is growing because the youths are tired of being called the leaders of tomorrow, while there is increasing disappearance of hope on the horizon for us.

Who are your financiers?
Our group is self-funding. We have not allowed paucity of funds to deter us from going ahead with the noble cause. We contribute and pool resources together in order to reach the desired destination.