A socio-civic group, the Oke-Ero Youth Assembly (OYA), has made a passionate, non-partisan appeal to political leaders, delegates, and all registered political parties within the Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency to correct a decades-long political imbalance ahead of the 2027 House of Representatives election.
The group made the call in an official joint statement signed by its Executive President, Prince Johnson Muyiwa Olaifa, and General Secretary, Bankole Moyinoluwa Comfort, and made available to 9japarrot media following extensive grassroots consultations with traditional rulers, women groups, professionals, and youth organizations across the federal constituency.
The youth assembly pointed out that despite its immense contributions to the democratic development and peaceful coexistence of the territory, Oke-Ero Local Government Area has never produced a member of the House of Representatives since its creation. They added that since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999, the local government has similarly not produced a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“These historical realities present a compelling moral and democratic imperative for deliberate reflection. No democratic society can attain its fullest potential where a constituent community continues to experience prolonged exclusion from strategic political representation. Equity is not an act of benevolence; it is a fundamental pillar of representative democracy,” the statement read.
OYA explicitly clarified that its intervention is entirely non-partisan and non-sectarian, emphasizing that the statement is not an endorsement of any particular aspirant or political party, but rather a principled civic plea for inclusion and political balance.
While acknowledging the long-standing political partnership and contributions of neighboring Ekiti, Irepodun, and Isin local government areas, the assembly urged party elders and stakeholders across the constituency to prioritize solidarity over division by deliberately favoring qualified aspirants from Oke-Ero.
The group maintained that while rotational equity is necessary, the selection criteria for candidates must remain firmly rooted in competence, integrity, grassroots acceptability, intellectual depth, and an unblemished record of public service to ensure quality representation at the green chamber.
The assembly concluded by commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his Renewed Hope Agenda, alongside the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, for his infrastructure reforms and youth empowerment strides, while urging political actors to conduct their pre-election activities with utmost civility and restraint.