Ekiti 2018: We won’t be tools for thuggery, rigging, say youths, as NYCN elects new leaders

Newly elected chairman of the National Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ekiti State chapter, Adedamola Ogunmola, has said that the youths in the state won’t allow themselves to used by politicians in the state as tools for political rigging and thuggery in July 14, governorship poll.

He said this on Monday, during the election of new executives for the NYCN for the state which produced him.

The election seems to have put an end to the leadership crisis hitherto rocking the NYCN, with the youths electing new executives to man the state’s chapter.

A few days earlier, a factional group of the NYCN had conducted an election at the Damalek hotel in Odo Oro community in Ekiti West Local government area, and Eyitayo Fabunmi had emerged winner of the poll with other executives.

The Monday election was conducted under the supervision of the state’s Ministry of Youths, Information and Sports Development during a gathering of all the youths and students of tertiary institutions in the state.

After the election where 148 votes of the youths were cast, Eyitayo Fabunmi polled 27, while Adedamola Ogunmola polled 102 to emerge as the new chairman of the NYCN in the state while 19 votes were voided.

A representative of the Ministry of Youths, Sports Development and Information, Mr. Oguntuase Dayo, witnessed the election alongside other stakeholders.

Mr. Foladosun Adebiyi Toyosi, chairman, Electoral council of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ekiti State chapter announced Ogunmola as the authentic chairman of the union and told newsmen to discard the Fabunmi factional executives.

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A representative of the Youths ministry, Oguntuase, said: “The atmosphere here is devoid of any rancour and disagreement no discrepancy whatsoever.

We denounce the purported election heald earlier, one of us was lured into the

Mr.  Jinadu Taiwo who chaired the electoral council that produced the Fabunmi election denounced the factional executives saying: “After going through the constitution or the NYC, I  have realized that that the earlier election was null and void.

“All the appropriate officials, including officials from the Ministry of Information, Youths and Sports development that were supposed to be present were not there. And as the electoral chairman of that election, I thereby cancelled that election and identify with this new executive led by Ogunmola Adedamola. It would be illegal for the other party to still parade themselves as executives of the NYCN in Ekiti State because that election is already declared null and void by me the chairman of the electoral body that conducted.”

Extending an olive branch to other parties, the newly elected chairman, Adedamola Ogunmola, said: “We are all brothers and sisters and it is a system that must be kept together. We always see ourselves as one family. The disagreement comes as a result of divergent interests. I believe we have done the right thing now.

“We appeal to our brothers to come back home. The family is big enough, and we cannot do this alone. The election has come and gone now. A lot of them have realized that what they have done is wrong. We will extend the olive branch to then and I know that by Gods grace we will reunite.  Some of the so-called executives have already joined us now.”

Against the allegation that the NYCN are polarised into APC and PDP factions, Ogunmola said: “That is a false allegation the National Youths Council of Nigeria, Ekiti state chapter is the umbrella body of all youths organisations in Nigeria, it is as well replicated in all states and local government.

“It is non-partisan and we always work with the government of the day to promote unity and cohesion among our youths. That does not mean that whenever we see anything that is going wrong with the system government we will not talk. cannot be fighting everybody and expect progress. We are a non-political association and we cannot work for any political party.”