National Assembly tickets: Ekiti youths reject consensus, warn against imposition
From Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti Youths in Ekiti state, under the auspices of Ekiti North Progressive Youth Alliance (ENPYA), have rejected alleged moves by political leaders to impose candidates through consensus
From Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti
Youths in Ekiti state, under the auspices of Ekiti North Progressive Youth Alliance (ENPYA), have rejected alleged moves by political leaders to impose candidates through consensus arrangements ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, warning that such practices would be resisted.
The group kicked against attempts to return the senator representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, Senator Cyril Fasuyi, as the sole candidate of the All Progressives Congress, describing the move as undemocratic and unacceptable.
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In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Comrade Tayelolu Ajayi, and made available to journalists in Ido-Ekiti on Thursday, the youths condemned what they described as clandestine efforts by some party leaders to suppress other aspirants in favour of certain individuals.
The group said the alleged consensus arrangement being promoted for some political office holders, including Fasuyi, amounted to a “political fraud” that would be rejected by the electorate.
It stated that portraying the lawmaker as a high-performing first-term senator deserving automatic return to the Senate was not only anti-democratic but also misleading.
The group insisted that to entrench equity, justice, and fairness in the district’s political process, Ikole Local Government should be allowed to produce the next senator, rather than recycling leaders it claimed had underperformed.
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It criticised the senator’s performance, noting that the provision of about 40 federal jobs, distribution of laptops, payment of JAMB fees for a few students, installation of streetlights, and distribution of fertilisers were insufficient to justify excellent representation.
It stressed that representation should be measured by impactful projects, sustainable empowerment programmes, and the ability to attract federal investments that would transform the constituency.
The group urged stakeholders to prioritise competence and fresh ideas, adding that the district is endowed with capable professionals who possess the capacity to deliver meaningful development.
It also called for fairness in the zoning of the senatorial seat, arguing that Ikole Local Government, being the largest in the district, deserved a fair chance, having not produced a senator since the return to democracy.
“Ekiti North deserves more. Our people deserve better. The 2027 election must not be about recycling mediocrity but redefining excellence,” the statement added.
