Date: 2017-08-23

Concerned youths under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State yesterday pleaded with the state hierarchy of the party to zone chairmanship candidate of the party in the forthcoming council election to Odo-Ogun Constituency.

They said the plea was in the spirit of equity, fairness and justice for the people of the constituency to have sense of belonging.

A statement jointly signed by Adeyemi Mustapha, Abolaji AbdulAkeem and Babatunde Israel on behalf of the concerned youths, which was made available to Journalists in Ilorin, said it was shocked to hear that the APC chairmanship flag-bearer has been purportedly ceded to Oke-Ogun Constituency of Oyun Local Government Area.

The statement explained that Oke-Ogun zone had chaired the council for twelve consecutive years with Odo-Ogun zone occupying the seat for three years.

It further claimed that Oke-Ogun zone is currently benefiting from the available major elective political offices.

The statement said, "We were shocked to hear the announcement on a Radio Programme purporting to be the outcome of the meeting of Oyun Local Government Youth Forum held at APC Secretariat, Ilemona.

"The youth from Odo-Ogun Constituency here refute that the report that the rumoured zoning of chairmanship position to Oke-Ogun was acceptable. Oke-Ogun had occupied the chairmanship position for twelve years consecutively while Odo-Ogun had occupied same for three years. All the major elective political offices are now in Oke-Ogun.

"We hereby reiterate our request that the chairmanship position should be zoned to Odo-Ogun Constituency in the interest of fairness, equity and democratic justice".

A newspaper not The Herald had quoted a communiqué issued by the APC youths in Oyun Local Government Council of the state after its emergency in Ilemona, Headquarters of the local government area that the state APC leadership had considered Oke-Ogun constituency of the council to produce APC chairmanship candidate in the forthcoming council poll.

The state Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) had fixed November 18, 2017 for the poll, which would be conducted across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.