By: Ade Adeleke
The Young Progressives Party (YPP), has taken steps to reposition the party in Ondo state to win future elections, even as it unveiled new Chairman for the Sunshine State and State Secretariat in Akure.
The YPP new State Chairman is Don Dotun Ojon who also led the party in the October 10, 2020 State governorship election as its gubernatorial Candidate.
The party also at the weekend launched new State secretariat located at Oba Adesida road, Akure.
Addressing party’s faithful in Akure, the National Chairman of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Bishop Amakiri kicked against zoning of presidential ticket in the country during the 2023 general election.
He described as a wrong move for political parties to embrace zoning of presidential candidate over competence ahead of 2023 elections.
Amakiri insisted that choosing Nigeria’s President should not be based on zoning but voters should be allowed to decide whom they want to govern them through credible, free and fair elections.
The YPP National Chairman noted that instead of zoning, leaders who are efficient, honest, competent and can give the people the leadership they desire should be voted for.
He said “Zoning is something that I believe must be handed over to the people to decide who they want. The party can zone their presidency to the south, for example, but may find it difficult to get suitable and credit aspirants from the zone and you are getting more credible people from the Northern part of the country, are they going to shut the door against the northerners as against the South that you have zoned to ?
“We should not talk about Zoning in terms of Presidency. We can talk about Zoning in terms of Party structural building. That’s where Zoning should be reflected.
“A president of Nigeria is a President of all the constituencies of the country. So I believe in efficiency, I believe in a man with moral nobility, a man who has the capacity that will come and give us the leadership that we desire in our country.
“I do not believe that zoning should be the major point of discussion but rather competence should be the major point of discussion.”
The national chairman who said the problem of Nigeria was lack of good leadership, posited that until leadership is prioritized,the country would continue to face challenges.
He said “Instead,we can bring on board new breed of leaders or politicians without greed that can champion the course of governance for a better Nigeria.
Speaking on insecurity, Amakiri said government must live up to his responsibility of providing an enabling environment for the youths.
According to him:”the issue of insecurity can be redeemable if everyone can become a stakeholders in terms of leadership recruitment process so that we can have the right people in position.
“There are calls for agitation when people feels disgruntled or injustice is the order of the day.
They are not feeling the impact of governance,so government must be steadfast in its responsibilities by ensuring that they engage the Youth pragmatically” he stated.
He said if the government would give the youth hope of livelihood, insecurity will douse.
While inaugurating the Secretariat, he admonished the members of the party to support the leadership of the party in the state,adding that the party does not have godfathers to bankroll its course.
He said they have the right to hold any YPP public office holder accountable if they failed to perform his /her obligations.
Amakiri said “All I asked from you is total support and commitment as members of the party. It is very possible, we can get a nation of our desire because we need a new Nigeria. A new Nigeria is possible with YPP.
“If one of you goes to preach the Gospel of YPP to ten people, it will continue to multiply and the multiplying effect will give us the result we desire. I am impressed by this gathering that was not motivated by stomach infrastructure.”
“In YPP, we don’t have any money bag or God father in our people. The party belongs to everyone who believes in new Nigeria. The God father will have is our God in even and then you the electorate, the people who will give us the mandate.
“You have the right to hold any public office holder in YPP accountable if he fails to perform his or her obligations because we have that in our constitution.
He commended the new state chairman of YPP saying, “I want to commend you the Ondo state chairman of YPP, Dotun Ojon for all you have been able to do in a short period of time. You have been able to keep the ground running.
“I commend your undeterred determination, standing firm with this great sense of resilient, we will get there. We will give you total support from the national.
“I have come and seen and I can assure you that there is no going back in this support.
“Please ,you have to reach out to all our members across all wards in the state. You must go extra miles to ensure that you reach out to all and sundry and all stakeholders. You have to bring both the protagonists and antagonists together so that you can have one ,united force.”
In an address, the new YPP Chairman in Ondo state, Dotun Ojon expressed the readiness of the party to provide alternative and good governance in the state and Nigeria at large.
Ojon added that the party would be actively involved in any elections in the state and general election.
