Osun 2018: Youth Coalition Protests Zoning Agitation
Coalition of Osun Youth Organisation, in collaboration with Development Advocacy group Tuesday in Osogbo massively protested against agitation for zoning of the governorship seat of the state to any senatorial district by any political party.
The youths in large number kicked start the procession from Ayetoro area of the metropolis and got it terminated at the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), located at Ogo-oluwa area, where the leaders of the group submitted a letter of protest to the party leadership and addressed newsmen.
The youths that were armed with placards of various inscriptions such as: “Merit is Key to Development, “Osun 2018 is our Future, Stop Hate Speech,” “Good Governance is about Merit, “Zoning is Parochial, insisted that zoning is not a convention and has never dictated political direction anywhere.
The leader of the group, Dr Ademola Oyedokun in his address, condemned the clamour for zoning anywhere in Nigeria particularly the agitation for the zoning of the governor’s seat to Osun West by those he described as disgruntled elements in Osun state.
He accused zoning proponents of striving to protect their “parochial economic interests “, alleging that majority of them are senior citizens who are apprehensive of their political fate in the coming years.
Oyedokun canvassed competence against mediocrity that zoning promotes adding that competency is requisite political-economic strength the state needed for advancement and sustainable development.
His words: “As young citizens of the state, our concern finds expression in the submission of Mao Tsezong that: The success of a society depends on the ability of the leader.
“The imperative of leadership in propelling development or otherwise is more crucial than that of a surgeon in the hospital, because the greatest disease is poverty, which could only be cured by political surgery and care.
“For us, the agitation for zoning, aside the fact that it finds no expression in any extant laws, party constitution, party ethics, and our political culture, is also retrogressive and undemocratic.
“Democracy, Justice, Fairness, and Equity, are to allow every eligible citizen from any part of the state to express interest and face delegates, and ultimately the electorate.
“More compelling is the fact that the international political community is now inclusive-driven, development inclined and no more individual, sectarian and regional focused.
“As at today, Nigerians and people of other races and colour are voted as mayors and chancellors in white dominated European countries. Why then do we continue to fern the ember of division and discord on our soil”, he queried.
He described the agitation for zoning as hate speech, insisting that competency would win election in Osun state and not zoning.
