Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, may be asked to produce the next national youth leader of the party in next months’ convention.
Top among the positions allocated to the zone are those of national secretary, national vice-chairman (South-West) and youth leader.
As it is usually done, Lagos/Ogun, Oyo/Osun and Ekiti/Ondo will take one each.
Though details are still sketchy as at press time, the five APC governors in the Southwest met yesterday in Lagos over the sharing of the party positions allocated to the geopolitical zone.
The meeting was to prepare the grounds for the party’s national convention now slated for March 26 and ensure the South-West is on the same page over the positions zoned to it.
At their meeting, the governors were said to have deliberated on micro-zoning the positions among the six states in the area.
Party stakeholders believe that Oyo, being the only state without a progressive governor, deserves the biggest position (national secretary) zoned to the region, OYOINSIGHT.COM learnt that Rotimi Akeredolu and Kayode Fayemi are scheming to have the position in their Ondo/Ekiti zone while Lagos/Ogun zone is aiming for the national vice-chairman (South-West) leaving Oyo/Osun with the youth leadership.
Those who are rooting for Oyo for the secretaryship are of the view that it would be good in a bid to use the position to power the state back to the APC fold.
Some names are already been touted for the three positions. Among them are a former deputy governor in one of the states, a former secretary to the state governor, a former speaker, a former member of the House of Representatives and some former commissioners (names withheld).
But if Oyo State gets the youth leadership position, the outgoing deputy national youth leader, Afeez Bolaji Repete, may be the only one eyeing that seat, having been there for number of years.
“I heard same thing too that they want to take away the two positions — national secretary and national vice-chairman (South-West) from Oyo/Osun. It is a pity. I remember we all conceded the biggest position to Ekiti when they didn’t have a sitting governor. They should reciprocate the gesture this time around. In fact, if Oyo and Osun take one each, there is nothing bad because these two states have left Ogun and Lagos to have once each in the past,” another source who didn’t want name in print said.
