A Statement of Displeasure and Call for Transparency in the Oyo Youth Summit 2025 Awards
It is always disheartening when a platform that should uphold excellence becomes an instrument of oppression.
With deep disappointment, I express my dissatisfaction with the bias surrounding the Oyo Youth Awards for Governance category at the recently concluded Oyo State Youth Summit 2025, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Oyo State.
It is worth noting that nominations were made for several categories. With massive public support, I garnered enough votes to be nominated in the Governance category of the Impactful young leader in Oyo State youths Award. Following the nomination, the process continued alongside other nominees, including Dikko Salami, Temitayo Adeboye, Hezekiah Oladipupo and Adeojo Elias.
Though there were challenges with the website during the voting period, I received overwhelming support from my people and well-wishers, enabling me to push through to the end through their resilience by not getting frustrated by the website.
The voting process was scheduled to conclude on Friday, April 18th, 2025. As the exact time the voting was declared closed, I was clearly leading the chart with about 36% (1509 votes), while my closest contender Dikko Salami had 27% (1138 votes) note Dikko Salami happens to be the Chairman of the Oyo State Pacesetter Transport Services—screenshot attached.
Despite securing a landslide victory, backed by genuine votes and the support of the people, I was shocked to be denied the award I rightfully earned. This was not an oversight, it was a deliberate act that disregarded the will of the people and undermined the credibility of the process.
Under the influence of Hon Wasilat Adegoke, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Oyo State Government and other committee members, the organizers chose instead to honor my counterpart, who is an appointee of Governor Seyi Makinde. This sends a dangerous message that merit and popular support mean nothing when favoritism takes the stage.
What should have been a platform to celebrate integrity and youth excellence has instead become a symbol of selective recognition and political manipulation. The Commissioner and other committee members have failed in their duty to uphold fairness, exposing a flawed and rigged system.
This is not just about me, it is about every young person who believed their voice mattered. We are not against honourary award but why ask the people to vote, only to disregard their decision?
I demand a full and transparent public clarification of the final results, including a release of the vote count and the selection criteria. We cannot build a future on bias and silence.
Oyo State youths deserve better. We must continue to demand the truth. The youths are to be built and not silenced for us to build our nation.
sincerely;
ADEDIRAN Abiodun Sunday
Nominee for Oyo State Youth Award for Governance Category
