Various prominent Yoruba youth groups under the umbrella of Yoruba Youths Assembly (YYA) have called on major political parties in Nigeria to ensure they zone their presidential tickets to the Southern region of the country, in the projection of patriotic spirit, “for a firm establishment of equity and fairness in the Nigeria polity.”
The coalition, which demanded the total restructuring of the Nigerian state, also stated that for democratic values to be holistically demonstrated, “we canvass that political parties should give priority to democratic balance in their internal electioneering engagements, by ensuring that they don’t compromise equity and fairness in the process of zoning their presidential tickets.”
The YYA stated these in a communique issued at the end of their general meeting yesterday which was attended by the president and the coordinators of the 38 member-unions of the Assembly in Osogbo, Osun State with the theme: ‘Reflection on the State of Nigeria, Southern Nigeria and the 2023 Presidency’.
In the communique signed by the President, Yoruba Youth Assembly, Hon Olarinde Thomas, the coalition said: In 2007, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) characterised its presidential ticket zoning with equity and fairness, by zoning it to the northern region, as the presidency was to leave the southern region then. This is the sort of democratic character that should be emulated by all major political parties in Nigeria for the 2023 presidency.
We should all uphold this, as a tool of objectivity for democratic advancement in Nigeria.
“The current government should pay deliberate attention to the ‘issue of education’ in the country; as lack of such attention had effected an ugly reality that has put up a situation of high number of out-of-school children in the country, and this is becoming very embarrassing for the image of the country.
Also, the government should comprehensively meet up with the UNESCO standard on budgeting for education.
“We resolutely demand a restructuring of the country, in a magnitude that more power is devolved to the States, to ensure measurable developments across the regions of the country. Relatively, we are of the opinion that the present status-quo of governance rin the country is unproductive and retrogressive; and there is need for a review of the present form of governance in the country, for a progressive statehood.”
As young people of the Yoruba extraction, the group urged security agencies in Nigeria to be effectively proactive in guaranteeing the protection of lives and property of the people.
It added: “We note in particular an upsurge in insecurity in the southern region of the country, and we passionately call on the federal government to use all within its power and control, to bring to an end the issues of insecurity, mostly killings, that have become rampant in the southern region.
“Lastly, in the spirit of patriotism and collective well-being, we call on our leaders to be mindful and conscious of their utterances and deeds, to avoid manifesting a situation capable of setting up the country on fire. Let’s join hands for justice, equity, and fairness in the Nigeria Polity. Let’s strive for a better Nigeria.”
