2023: Ogun Youths Urge APC Chairman to Disregard Petition against Abiodun

James Sowole in Abeokuta

A coalition of youth groups in Ogun State has written to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, urging him to disregard the petition written against the state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

The youths under the auspices of Conference of Ogun Youth Leaders, in the letter dated May 5, 2022, expressed their passion for the second term ambition  of the incumbent state governor.

The letter was signed by Seyi Afolabi, the state chairman of the Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC), Ogun State chapter; Mubarak Salisu, member, Nigerian Youth Parliament, Ogun Central; Prince Oyede Oke, member, Nigerian Youth Parliament, Ogun West; Adeyinka Adefisayo, member, Nigerian Youth Parliament, Ogun East; Mr. Yaya Onagbesan, president, Remo Youth Association, among others.

The youth leaders in the letter, unanimously said they came out boldly to take the action ‘due to the allegations leveled against the Omoluabi governor by some disgruntled elements’.

The letter read in part: “Without mincing words, the only sellable aspirant and product for the topmost position in the Gateway state today is Prince Dapo Abiodun. This is without any iota of equivocation.”

The youth specifically listed many youth oriented programmes and policies of the administration, which they described as unprecedented.

They said: “Prince Dapo Abiodun had in the last three years brought governance directly to the people.

“He never embarked on any project without consulting with leaders of the party, community, traditional and religious leaders. The people always decide what they want before giving approval for such project. This is the beauty of democracy and what the state was deprived of in the last administration.

“Mr. chairman, Governor Abiodun’s administration had been an inclusive one since the birth of this regime. He kept welcoming ideas through his open door policy as well as new entrants into our party on daily basis.

“We would like to put it on record that no administration in Ogun State had attracted opposition members into the party like Governor Abiodun had done in less than 36 months. Also, the governor’s love for the youths is unequalled.

“Abiodun’s administration has given political appointments and opportunities to hundreds of youths both at the grassroots and in the State Executive Council.

“Less than four months into his administration, he created the office of Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth Empowerment and Job Creation, and the youths were made to oversee the programme.

“The governor has empowered thousands of youths in various forms, especially through agriculture, ICT, creative industries, pull factor investment drive, and the Ogun Jobs Portal was created to serve the singular purpose of recruiting the unemployed or underemployed ones among us.

“In his quest to inspire us to greatness, Governor Abiodun has since the inception of his administration continue to celebrate excellent performances by the youths in the academics, creativity and sports.”

The youth stakeholders of the party, therefore, advised the APC not to allow detractors with baseless claims against Abiodun’s candidacy for the next gubernatorial election to thrive.

They maintained that such action is a mere opportunity to draw the state backwards and hand over its government to the opposition party in 2023.