Youths Should Be Given Opportunity to Pick Their Own Leader – Says Ex Oyo Deputy Gov, Adeyemo While Hosting APC Lobby Group

Youths Should Be Given Opportunity to Pick Their Own Leader – Says Ex Oyo Deputy Gov, Adeyemo While Hosting APC Lobby Group.

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC) and the Secretary to the National Reconciliation Committee of the party, His Excellency, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo has yesterday played host to the members of the party’s Youth Lobby Group, in Oyo state. The meeting, which was held at his private residence, addressed sundry issues surrounding youth inclusion and other related one in the ongoing congresses of the party.

While speaking on behalf of the Lobby Group, Hon. Titilope Gbadamosi thanked Chief Adeyemo for the warm reception and hospitality accorded the group. She explained that the State Lobby Group is a subset of the National Lobby Group set up by the acting National Chairman of the Party, Governor Mai Mala Buni to agitate for youth inclusion in key leadership positions, both at the party levels and in governments .

Gbadamosi reiterated that the youths currently account for more than half of the country’s population and maintained that it is uncharitable that they are overlooked in party positions allotments and leadership. In her words, “The time is ripe for us to deliberately end the era of restricting the youths to just the ‘Youth Leadership positions’ of the party as quite a number of our youths are well primed and positioned for other offices from Publicity Secretary, Welfare Officer and even women leader.

Titilope Gbadamosi revealed that this is already the case in other states and Oyo state cannot afford to be left behind.

In his brief remarks, Comrade Adegbola Oluwaseun also known as Triple Tee argued that the youth leadership position cannot be a compensation for loyalty, it should be a drive for capacity. He noted that a wrong choice of youth leader will affect the power and enthusiasm of the youths and may jeopardize APC’s goal of youth-driven political mobilization.

Hon. Banji A Banji also applauded Chief Adeyemo for his uprightness to the progressive ethos and charged him to throw his weight behind the youth outcry for inclusion in party positions as it is in the overall best interest of the party.

Responding to the youth’s demands, the two term former Deputy Governor, Adeyemo commended the youths for their boldness and willpower in challenging the status quo which revealed why a number of them have already thrown their hats in the ring for party positions.

Adeyemo described the youth as the bastion and foundation of the state and the hope of the future, noting further that the future has already begun. He observed that the youths cannot be passive participants in the conversations about the future and that they must have their voices heard at all times. He noted that a sizeable portion of youths previously tried in key leadership positions excelled tremendously and provided a platform for other emerging youths to step on.

Addressing the question of youth inclusion on the forthcoming State Congress, Chief Adeyemo promised to work with other leaders and stakeholders of the party to look into these demands. ‘We will take into account your specific interests on the zoning table and make conscious effort to accommodate them within the confines of reason.

Chief Adeyemo entreated that youths should be given the opportunity to pick their own leader for appreciable and symbiotic relationships. “The Youth leader must be someone who resonates with the ideas of all other youths in the party”, he said.

“It is in the best interest of the party that we work with our best hands to push through a successful campaign in 2023 and return APC back to power in Oyo state. We will not sacrifice competence for interest and primordial sentiments”, Chief Adeyemo reiterated.

The meeting, also, had in attendance, Dr Yusuf Adebayo Adams, Hon. Mayowa Ayuba, Hon. Hammed Aponmade, Hon. Abiola Saburi Yusuf, Mrs Odunola Gold, Miss Christiana Olowofela, Hon. Sanusi Hedrees, Hon. Olalekan Glory, Mr Mufeed Ologbojo, Otunba Ibrahim Alabi and other youth representatives across the 33 Local Government Areas of the state.