***promises poverty alleviation, massive youth employment
By Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
A former stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state, Alhaji Waziri Yakubu Gobir, has formally announced his gubernatorial aspiration for the office of Governor of Kwara state during the 2023 general elections on the platform of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
The business mogul, who announced his intention at a press briefing on Wednesday in Ilorin, the state capital, lamented that the state has become “a torn society marred by economic, political and cultural divides,” adding that “the
State of Harmony hangs in the balance, at a precarious moment when true leaders must rise and followers should demand a
collective commitment to the shared prosperity which was envisioned by our forefathers.”
He said: “For too long, our beloved state, like most of Nigerian states, has wallowed in abject penury and insecurity, whilst a very few corner the common wealth and hold the
rest hostage.
“From N100m nomination form to delegates who pay allegiance to the fattest wads of hundreds of dollar bundles, politics has become a
criminal enterprise, where only the most corrupt thrive. This is all part of a grand design to scheme out the most upright, and most competent from participating in
the governance of this country, thereby perpetuating a kleptocracy.”
Gobi, who said he was a key player in the 2019 elections that ushered
in the current APC government, at both state and federal levels, lamented that the democracy in Nigeria has become “so expensive and an inefficient exercise which has been hijacked by moneybags in an illegitimate process that cannot produce a legitimate outcome,” adding that the need to be on the right side of history explains his decision to leave the APC to deploy his resources and God given talent to build a platform, the YPP, for young men and women to express themselves, to vote and be
voted for, and more importantly to take charge of their own destiny.
He said: “Two key ingredients must co-exist for a thriving democracy anywhere in the world, equality and active citizen participation. Kwara State has never been more divided
than it is at this very moment. Ethno-political conflict, social decay and squandered
resources have widened the gap between the haves and have-nots, fuelling resentment and a glaring economic divide.”
The front line politician, who said the youths are the leaders of today, not tomorrow as being misled to think for so long, urged them to brace up to leadership challenge by taking their destiny in their own hands.
He said: “The majority of Kwara’s population are young people in their prime, starting out in life with big dreams and hope for their futures. Your current leaders
do not rate you, except when paying lip service or using you as agents of destruction.
“I am a firm believer in the power and potential of the youth, if properly harnessed, as a force for good. Contrary to the intentionally distorted picture painted of
Nigeria’s youth, you are not a ‘coconut-head’ generation consumed only by drugs,
keeping up appearances, internet crime, and all sorts of desperate ‘get rich quick’ schemes,” while admonishing them that regime change can only happen through a ballot revolution.
Gobir urged all party faithful to register and collect their permanent voter cards (PVC) through which they can elect leaders of their choice, saying “we still have 30 days left to get our PVC. This is our weapon in the battle ahead.”
Gobir, however, promised to pursue poverty alleviation and massive youth employment if given the mandate to govern Kwara state in 2023.
End
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