“NO MORE SIDELINES” — EKITI, OKE-ERO DEMAND A FAIR SHOT

After decades of waiting, stakeholders from Ekiti and Oke-Ero say enough is enough.

Political leaders, youths and community voices from Ekiti and Oke-Ero LGAs in Kwara State have renewed calls for inclusion and fair representation in the Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Irepodun/Isin Federal Constituency, warning that long-running exclusion has slowed development and weakened grassroots governance.

At a packed town hall meeting in Osi, aspirants across party lines, traditional leaders and socio-cultural groups agreed on one thing: political apathy has cost the area too much.

House of Representatives aspirant Dr. Kehinde Alex Bankole (APC) urged residents to stop watching from the sidelines. “Politics is not a spectator sport. If you’re not involved, decisions will be taken without you — and development will pass you by,” he said.

Bankole and other aspirants insisted that competition would not divide the people but strengthen democracy, with all contenders united by service and development.

Another APC aspirant, Adeyemi Issac, described the meeting as a rare show of unity, saying aspirants were choosing collective interest over personal ambition.

On the history of exclusion, Hon. Gabriel Ashaolu pointed out that only two of the four LGAs have produced the House of Reps member in nearly three decades, leaving Ekiti and Oke-Ero out since the return of democracy. “We want correction through dialogue, not conflict,” he said.

From the PDP side, Dr. Idowu Musa Audu, represented by Femi Awe, said the gathering proved that development was possible when communities rise above party lines.

Leaders of the Organisation of Kwara Ekiti Indigenes stressed that the agitation is about fairness, justice and rotation, not partisan politics. Youth leader Comrade Gabriel Omoniyi called on other LGAs to support an inclusive arrangement, saying prolonged dominance by one bloc has fueled frustration among young people.

The mood at the meeting was clear: greater participation, sustained dialogue and fair rotation are key to unlocking development and restoring trust across the constituency.