Prominent APC youths in Kwara State have dumped the party for the youth-centric Young Progressives Party YPP, owing to what it described as the anti-youth postures of the government both at the national and State.
This much was confirmed via a press conference held at the State Secretariat of the Young Progressives Party in Ilorin, the group led by former Presidential Aide and the Former Secretary (Youth Mobilization) of the 2019 Presidential Campaign Committee in Kwara State Mr. Charles Folayan who is now the State Chairman of the YPP, the group lament the level of marginalization of resourceful young people in the current political system in Kwara State and in Nigeria as a whole.
Stressing that marginalisation of the youth, non implementation of local government autonomy among others is responsible for there severing ties with the All Progressives Congress (APC)
“The failure of the current political leaders to sincerely involve the right calibre of youth in serious political engagement and decision making has compounded the country’s problems and triggered a huge set back to finding solutions to the many challenges facing Kwara State and Nigeria at large.
“The local government which is the third tier of government has been rendered useless by the state governors. The local governments’ constitutional roles have been hijacked, and the operation of both local government and state accounts by state governors have automatically turned the local government councils to an extension of the state government. The unchecked looting that this “kidnapping” of local governments permits the State Governor cannot be ignored any longer.
“The obvious lack of separation of powers between the state government and local government council is causing extreme poverty at the grassroot level. It has also handicapped our royal fathers from effectively playing their roles in community development which is a contributory factor to the high level of crimes and insecurity in the country in most states.
“However, it is obvious that most governors including our own in Kwara State are not willing to allow the local government system to function properly. They have refused to allow local government autonomy, as enshrined in the constitution and canvassed by many stakeholders, including President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Some of these governors have zero interest in allowing local government elections to hold, thereby impoverishing the masses even more. This has to stop. Local governments must enjoy their legitimate autonomy.
The group is confident that if the local government is allowed to function properly, it would give a huge opportunity for the youth to participate in politics and governance as councillors and local government chairmen, thereby leading to youth empowerment and employment. This cannot be overemphasized.
“The Ótogé political liberation in Kwara State was achieved largely through the effort of many committed, dedicated, progressive and loyal young people across the 193 wards of Kwara State, who put in all they had to support the struggle for the soul of our people.
“The Ótogé struggle has established a true democratic leadership selection system in Kwara State, setting the standard on how the people can freely choose or reject their leaders without being coerced or financially induced by any individual or group. However, our dream of having an all inclusive, transparent government with meaningful ideas has not been fulfilled” he stressed.
