Akure, Ondo State - The political landscape in Ondo State was set ablaze yesterday as a group of youths from the All Progressives Congress (APC) took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction over the recent appointment of Hon. Kolade Akinjo, a member of the opposition party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as a board member representing Ondo State at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The protest saw angry youths storming the state secretariat of the APC in Akure, the capital city of Ondo State, to voice their grievances regarding Akinjo's appointment. The former member and immediate past House of Representatives representative for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency had spent eight years in the green chamber before losing his third term bid under the PDP to the APC.
What seemed to fuel the frustration of these young APC members was Akinjo's actions during his campaign. The youths accused him of vehemently working against the APC and even openly insulting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR in a video clip. In the video, Akinjo described Tinubu as a sick man, shaking to the point of paralysis prior to the general elections.
Sporting placards with various inscriptions such as 'Akinjo is not an APC Member,' 'Tinubu, please caution Gbajabiamila now before he destroys your government,' 'Gbaja, everything isn't about money,' 'Stop destroying APC in Ondo State,' 'PDP cannot enjoy the fruits of our labor in APC, Tinubu act now,' 'Tinubu, replace Akinjo now,' 'NDDC slot is not for the highest bidder,' among others, the youths demanded that President Tinubu replace Akinjo with an APC member from the oil-producing communities in Ilaje Local Government area of Ondo State.
Led by Comrade Ojo Oluwaseyi, the group expressed their frustration at Akinjo's appointment from the opposition party, stating that it not only insulted APC members but also posed a serious threat to their loyalty to the party. They vowed to continue protesting in Ondo State until President Tinubu took action and replaced Akinjo with a bona fide APC member.
"The era of 'Monkey dey work, Bamboo dey chop' has gone in Ondo State," declared one of the impassioned youths.
This protest sends a strong message to the APC leadership, urging them to listen to the concerns of their youth members and ensure that appointments are made in line with party loyalty and the aspirations of grassroots supporters. It remains to be seen how President Tinubu will respond to this plea from his party's youths in Ondo State.
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