2027: Oyo Youth Parliamentarian Charges Oriire Politicians on emulating the Legacy of Ademola Alalade

The member representing Oriire State Constituency at the Oyo State Youth Parliament – Joshua Ojo Akin while speaking at the just concluded OriireFirst Stakeholders’ Summit at Ikoyi-Ile, charged the political leaders in Oriire on placing the interest of Oriire Local Government area above their personal interests ahead of 2027 and beyond. In his prepared speech, he likened the Late Ademola Alalade as a rugged defender of Oriire whose legacy cannot be overemphasised, he said:

“The late Ademola Alalade Samson, of blessed memory, must have had his flaws, right? But what we heard about him was that he defended the interests of Oriire to some point before his demise. That is a good legacy to us, Sirs, Mas. May his soul rest in the bosom of the Most High.”

“Our Daddys: Hon. Chief Johnson Adebayo Bamikole, Rt. Hon Gungu Ojo, Hon. Ezekiel Ajani Oyedepo, Hons. Idowu Akanbi, Jacob Bamigboye, Olayinka Odekanmi, Barrister Olusola Alabi, Luqman Majekodunmi, Adekunle Kayode and all our respected leaders, Babatunde Ahmed, Ganiyu Laaro, Hammed Elerukanfila and all other eminent personalities present and absent, we are here to appeal to you all our fathers and mothers to create the exact legacy you want our children and children’s children to remember you for.”

“We are here because, as leaders of people from different sectors, we all know that leadership demands action.”

“Leadership is not merely a title or position; it is a call to serve, guide, and protect the integrity that society entrusted to us. As leaders, we hold the power to influence not just policies but the very fabric of our community. We are here to use that power to broker peace, heal divisions, and ensure that Oriire remains a beacon of unity and progress.”

“We are here because the current state of political discord threatens the foundation of our collective aspirations. Political competition is natural, even necessary, in a democracy. But when it descends into conflict, when it breeds animosity and division, it ceases to serve its purpose.”

“We are here to remind ourselves and others that politics is a means to an end—and that end is the welfare and prosperity of the people. Our role as elites is to rise above partisan interests and to act as mediators, ensuring that dialogue and collaboration replace conflict and discord.”

“We are here because peace is the cornerstone of development. Without peace, progress stalls, opportunities diminish, and our people’s dreams remain unfulfilled. As leaders of the people, we understand that peace is not a passive state but an active process.”

“It requires effort, wisdom, and sacrifice. It requires us to set aside our differences and focus on what unites us: our shared commitment to the growth and prosperity of Oriire.”

“We are here because history demands it of us. Generations to come will look back on this moment and judge us by the choices we make today. They will ask whether we stood firm in the face of division, whether we used our influence to build bridges or to deepen divides. As elites, we have the privilege of shaping that history. Let us ensure that it is a history we can be proud of—a history of courage, collaboration, and commitment to the common good.”

“We are here because we believe in the power of dialogue. True leadership recognizes that progress is born not of unilateral decisions but of collective wisdom. This gathering is an opportunity to listen, learn, and find common ground.”

“It is a chance to demonstrate that even in the face of disagreement, we can work together for the greater good.”

“Finally, we are here because we are stewards of hope. The people of Oriire look to us for guidance, solutions, and inspiration. They trust that we will rise above personal and partisan interests to act in their best interests. We cannot afford to betray that trust. Let us use this summit to reaffirm our commitment to their welfare and chart a path forward that prioritizes peace, unity, and progress.”

“As we deliberate today, remember that our shared goal transcends individual ambitions. We are here to broker peace, to mend what is broken, and to lay the groundwork for a stronger, more united Oriire. Let us leave this place not just with resolutions but with a renewed sense of purpose and a clear plan of action.”

While highlighting the worries of the Oriire Youths, he listed as thus;

“1. We realized that there is much (e.g., public infrastructures like health or education Institutions) our people can benefit from the collaborative efforts of our political gladiators across party lines. Be that as it may, we want the assurance of each political party Chairmen and their excos to go back to their drawing boards, make a genuine effort in the alignment of factions and engage applicable conflict resolution mechanisms in their respective political parties as we youth promising to follow up this and always report back to our respected Traditional rulers on the progress of the realignment.”

“More so, in the buildup to this summit, during the course of our documentary tours, we realized that it was actually hungry politicians who introduced the ethnic sentiment of Oyo, Ilorin, Ogbomoso, and Ikoyi to divide us so as to keep ruling us with a ‘divide-and-rule’ tactic. Please, our dear Traditional rulers, see to this as well and let Oriire see ourselves as one entity cohabiting in love and respect for our differences, regardless.”

“Lastly and most importantly, ahead of 2027 and moving on, we want to break jinxes. Oriire has patiently and diligently paid our dues in electoral value in the State, Senatorial, and Federal constituencies. Where is the proof?”

“We can not mention just one notable Oriire person serving as an appointee at Federal and State cabinets, Boards, or Agencies, so why?”

“From the inception of the fourth republic alone, we have had our respected Senators and Members of the House of Representatives from our sister local government council areas but never from Oriire. How could this be right?”

“There is an infrastructure deficit, no notable socio-economic-friendly government establishments here to drive our economy despite our land mass endowment of 2040km2 land area, one of the largest in the whole of Country and State.”

“We are here to prostrate and kneel before our political leaders, inviting our dutiful Traditional rulers to charge them on unity and sincerity of purpose. We want them to collectively fight contentious issues within and outside, and proceed in their formidable structure to Ogbomoso, Ibadan and Abuja to lobby for developmental projects like Universities, Institutes and political privileges, to better the lives of our people. We pray Almighty God will be with them as they do so. If they say to you, that you people do not have credible candidates, please disagree with them, because here are your candidates standing and working tirelessly, selflessly for the overall development of our darling Oriire Local Government.” Ojo concluded.