Amb. Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) senatorial candidate for Oyo Central Senatorial District, has urged youths in Oyo State to take a more active role in politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ajadi made the call on Friday at a Youth Stakeholders’ Engagement organised by the Agency for Youth Development for representatives of about 900 registered youth associations across the state.
The programme, held at the Ministry of Local Government Training Hall in Ibadan, provided a platform for young people to discuss issues affecting their communities, particularly youth empowerment, skills acquisition, employment and participation in governance.
The engagement was also aimed at developing community-driven proposals, strengthening collaboration between government and youth organisations, and establishing a sustainable feedback mechanism through which young people can contribute to policy formulation and implementation.
Speaking with journalists at the event, Ajadi said Nigerian youths could not afford to remain on the sidelines of the political process while complaining about poor governance.
He attributed what he described as persistent challenges in Nigeria’s governance system partly to the limited participation of young people in politics, arguing that their absence had allowed older political actors to maintain dominance over the country’s political space.
“Over the decades, what we have been seeing is bad governance, and part of the reason is that Nigerian youths have failed to join politics.
“Because the youths refuse to participate, the old cabals and some of the bad eggs that have been in the system since the return of democracy in 1999 have continued to dominate the political space,” he said.
Ajadi urged young Nigerians not to allow the negative perception of politics to discourage them from participating, stressing that the youth possess the energy, ideas and capacity needed to contribute meaningfully to national development.
He encouraged youths to join political parties, become involved in decision-making processes and use their numerical strength to influence the direction of governance.
“The youths are the vibrant ones. They are the ones that can do something and contribute to the total development of our nation.
“That is why I am calling on them to come and participate in political affairs and change the bad narrative to a good one,” Ajadi said.
The APM candidate also expressed confidence in the electoral prospects of his party ahead of the 2027 elections, declaring that the party was positioned to secure victories across various levels of government.
“Presidential candidate of APM, Engineer Seyi Makinde, all our Senate candidates, all our House of Representatives candidates, State House of Assembly candidates, our governor, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, and our local government chairmen and councillors are going to win the elections.
“We are taking it all, by the grace of God,” he declared.
Ajadi, who described himself as a friend of the youths, urged participants to ensure that the discussions at the engagement translated into practical action capable of improving the lives of young people across the state.
He said increased youth participation in governance would help young Nigerians influence policies and decisions relating to education, employment, entrepreneurship, skills development and economic opportunities.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for youth representatives to raise issues affecting their communities and discuss possible solutions with relevant stakeholders.
Ajadi, however, said the broader challenge extended beyond government programmes, stressing that young people must take ownership of the political process by becoming active participants rather than limiting their involvement to criticism of those in power.
With the 2027 general elections on the horizon, he urged youths to participate in political parties, exercise their voting rights responsibly, support credible candidates and demand accountability from elected representatives.
He maintained that the future of Nigeria’s democracy would depend substantially on the willingness of young Nigerians to move from the margins of politics into positions where they can actively shape policies, leadership and governance.
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