The All Progressives Youth Alliance (APYA), a youth wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ekiti State Chapter, has called for equity in determining who leads the state and moved that the next governor, come 2022, should emerge from the southern part of the State.
The group made the call in Ado Ekiti on the heels of perceived wrangling among the leadership of the party in the state and then cautioned that a holistic solution that would touch the foundation of the recurring crisis should be fathomed to guarantee victory for the party in coming elections.
President of APYA, Adelana Adeyanju said the most potent key to open the door of electoral fortunes for the party in the state, is to adopt a leveler policy that gives equal chance to the three senatorial zones with the incumbent governor being ready to work with other leaders to form a formidable front to conquer.
On why the party must respect zoning, he said: âWe must begin a healing process. We must give everyone a sense of belonging. Ekiti State of our dream is where every zone is given equal chance to power.
âEkitiâs unity is paramount and sacrosanct and that can only be guaranteed when we adhere to zoning. With mutual understanding and inclusion, even those who are already pained and aggrieved will reconsider and work heartily for the progress of our party.â
Adeyanju stated that the time to settle the southern marginalization in leadership is now, considering the volatility of the moment and the strength of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, which he said cannot be overlooked.
âOur party need to focus more on reconciliation to be able to surmount the electoral challenges ahead of us and we have no time to waste in doing this. Now is the time to swallow our prides, roll up our sleeves and work together diligently and very assiduously to be able to defeat our adversaries in the PDP.
âThe clamour for a southern governor has gained alarming echo and we cannot pretend not to hear. Since the North and the Central senatorial zones have had their fair share in leadership, we consider it fair to look towards that direction in picking who to lead Ekiti State this time,â he said.
According to Adeyanju, Â power shifting to the South in 2022 should be a gentlemanâs agreement which outcome will lend more biting teeth to APCâs victory.
âZoning is not new to APC as it was agreed at the founding of the APC that power would rotate between the North and the South. This is what all of us are banking on to say we expect a Southern president to take over from incumbent President Mohammadu Buhari in 2023. And if that is the case, it is just apt that we do same in our states so that we will be seen to practice what we preach.â
He noted that it is the Southâs turn to produce the governor of Ekiti State in 2022, after the two-term tenure of Governor Kayode Fayemi, which had been preceded by Niyi Adebayo Ayo Fayose and Chief Segun Oni
APYA stressed that equity and justice demand that power must shift to create an enabling balance for democracy in Ekiti State.
âSo many of our elders and leaders made so many sacrifices to bring this party on board. People like us will never forget such sacrifices and we believe that the understanding that was entered into must be strictly adhered to across board.
Adeyanju also urged political parties to give younger Nigerians a chance to lead.
âIt is high time our elders begin to give youths a chance to lead. The youth, with their population, must dictate who becomes what in 2023,â he said.
