Ademola Bayonle, a 35-year-old medical doctor, joined the race for Osun’s gubernatorial election on July 16, under the platform of Young Progressive Party (YPP).
Mr. Bayonle had this to say when he spoke to reporters shortly after receiving his nomination form at the YPP National Secretariat in Abuja on Saturday.
He said that young people were in a better position to change the narrative of Nigerian politics through active participation.
“Osun’s election is giving young people a chance to set the pace for Ekiti’s election, ahead of the 2023 general election.
“We have to take the bull by the horns to make sure that the older generation leaves a good structure, because if we allow them to continue making decisions for us, thirty years from now, when they are gone, it will be us. Suffer the consequences.
“So now is the time to come together and make an impact on the future we want for ourselves and the next generation,” he said.
Bayonle urged young people to join the YPP, because it was the party for them.
“A mistake that young people often make is to believe that participating in politics involves money to choose tickets to run for public office.
“Participation goes beyond running for office, participation is joining rallies, campaigns, dialogues and others. There are so many false perceptions about joining politics or participating in politics.
“Politics goes beyond money, some people started the campaign “Not too young to run” and that is participation.
“Some people start conversations on social media and people listen and learn that they learn a thing or two and that’s engagement too.
“So I encourage young people to join vibrant political parties like the YPP and to be in positions where, even if they’re not competing and choosing a way like I’m doing today, but they’re engaging with other young people in politics,” He said.
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Mr. Bayonle added: “For those who want to run for any office, they have to come and go and then people can support them even financially.
“And even if they don’t support them financially, they will do so in another capacity that is also participation.”
He urged the Osun electorate to give political parties other than the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) the opportunity to present fresh ideas and innovation through their candidates.
Mr. Bayonle said the YPP would set a new standard in state governance and promised to unlock the state’s potential if he is elected governor in July.
“From our analysis, we have come to understand that we have not really given the electorate a choice when it comes to elections in the country and in Osun.
“People think that the two big games are what they needed, which is not true.
“But YPP has been on the ground for over a year and people are very happy to have us and we want to give them a better alternative,” he said. YAYA)