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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Stakeholders across the six States of the Southwest geopolitical zone have demanded for the emergence of purpose driven and visionary leadership for the 2023 general elections.
The stakeholders, in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Chief advocate of The Nigeria Agenda (TNA) Niyi Akinsiju, made the appeal in Ibadan, the political capital of the South-west at an event organized by TNA.
According to the statement, the facilitator at the advocacy session and former Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, reiterated the need for Nigerians to vote for a younger, intelligent and forward-looking candidate as president of the country in 2023, even as he lamented that Nigeria’s problem has always been leadership.
Speaking similarly, the former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Iyiola Oladokun, insisted it is time a young Nigerian under 60 years took over the reign of government at the federal level.
“We have capable young Nigerians with impressive pedigrees in political administration, peoples’ and resources management that can drive the Nigerian growth trajectory on faster momentum. That is why I am calling on Nigerians to search out young people with such qualities and support them to get into high offices of state like becoming the President,” Oladokun explained.
Director-General of TNA, Mallam Ahmad, in his own contribution, counseled Nigerians to be deliberate about the political recruitment process in 2023, warning of its serious implications for the peace, unity, economic prosperity of the country and ultimately, its development.
He enjoined delegates from the Southwest to actively engage in spreading the message and objectives of The Nigeria Agenda to the grassroots as Ambassadors of the advocacy that will birth a new Nigeria.
Chief Advocate of TNA, Akinsiju, canvassed urgent need for a change of attitude by the voting publics as they exercise their primary constitutional duty of recruiting political office holders through the ballot box.
“The leadership of a society is a reflection of the ethos and outlooks of the people of the society. The emergence of dependable and promise keeping leadership must, therefore, be the outcome of the collective insistence of the publics to invest their votes in individuals that have track records of dependability, integrity, capacity, decency and pedigree of service,” Akinsiju noted.
Former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Aluko, echoed the submission of his Oyo State counterpart demanding voters in the Southwest to actively search for the right kind of leadership.
“We have passed that period when we wait for politicians to declare interest in particular offices and they get there only for them to serve their selfish interests. From now on, we must determine the people that lead us by deliberately identifying and searching them out for support. We have determine the character traits of leaders and ensure individuals that tick the boxes in term of value orientation are recruited by us to serve us,” Aluko asserted.
Other speakers at the event include the Director-General, DAWN Commission, Seye Oyeleye; Professor Tunde Adeniran, who sent a representative; Lola Fagbemi and the Osun State Commissioner for Political Affairs and Inter-governmental Relations, Taiwo Akeju, all called for the right leadership to steer the ship of the country.
