Since Tuesday when the indefatigable Oyo APC youth leader, Prince John Aremu, released a statement about the forthcoming APC Youth Summit, a PDP’s political piccaninny has resumed his rantings to the effect that Governor Seyi Makinde gave PDP youths opportunity to be involved in governance while some APC elders are still parading themselves as youths, fit only to organise youth summit. It’s important to enlighten that political upstart on how youth inclusiveness started in Oyo State and who started it.
The late mercurial gentleman, a governor of hefty grace, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, redefined governance in Oyo State during his first term in office when he made youths in the then ACN important parts of leadership in politics and governance. Some youths then we’re part of the state executive of Action Congress of Nigeria. Hon Wasiu Sadare, who was a youth then, was the publicity secretary of the party. When late Governor Ajimobi formed his government, youths formed the nucleus of his cabinet. The most important cabinet member, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr Zach Adedeji, was a youth. The Commissioner for Youths and Sports then, Honourable Dapo Lam, was a youth. There were other youths who served as special advisers, special assistants, heads of agencies, heads of boards and parastatals under Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
In other appointments such as caretaker chairmenship, several youths were given opportunity to steer the ship of local government councils in Oyo State. Some youths were caretaker chairmen, some were vice chairmen, some were secretaries, many youths were appointed as supervisory councillors. Also in elective positions, several youths were given opportunity to fly the tickets of the party in state and federal houses of assembly.
One of the brighter sides of youth inclusiveness in governance under Ajimobi was allowing elders to hold their places, both in the party and in governance. Ajimobi did not elevate youths to spite the elders. What he did was to allow the youths to function effectively even among the elders to show that youths also have great things to contribute as political leadership. Need I repeat that all the youths appointed and elected through the magnanimity of HE Ajimobi were not ‘gbẹwudani’, yesmen? They were vibrant youths, professional, efficient and independent. Many of the youths of that era has gone on to holding higher political positions. Dr Zach Adedeji, then Commissioner for Finance, is now the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service. Dr Titi Gbadamosi, then a special assistant to Governor Ajimobi, is now a federal special assistant on youth initiative to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Bisoye Fagade now heads a federal agency. That’s a brilliant stuff the youths of that era under Ajimobi are made of!
However, can we in all honesty say the same of Governor Seyi Makinde? He hijacked Oyo PDP from the prominent leaders of the party after he became the Governor. He relegated them to the background and he brought in pliable youths who carry teenage minds to take the places of the leaders he ostracised from politics and governance. Those leaders Governor Makinde ridiculed so he could bring in the malleable youths are leaving Oyo PDP in droves. Oyo PDP is now populated in party affairs and governance with youths who exhibit childish propensity. It remains to be seen where Makinde’s youths will be politically in the next four years after they must have left office with their principal in 2027. We have seen where the youths Ajimobi mentored in politics and governance are today? Who will tell Makinde’s susceptible adolescents he calls youths that ‘Karma will reign on youngsters who squat to peep at elders’ anus’?
