The governorship candidate, Justice Must Prevail Party (JMPP) in Ogun, Mr Blessing Oyefeso, has called on the electorate to make the 2019 polls a historical one by being more dynamic in their choice of candidates.
Oyefeso made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun.
Oyefeso, 34, said the nation’s democracy could only be strengthened when leaders consistently emerged outside the duopoly of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said going by what Nigerians had experienced so far under the administration of both the APC and PDP across all levels of government over the years, the time was right to give thought to other options.
Oyefeso, in his debut political experience under the JMPP flagship, argued that there existed a vast array of leadership potentials in other parties who for their lack of financial muscle were being overlooked.
He commended the signing into law the not-too-young-to-run bill which had reshaped the political landscape and opened the door for the youth to add their voice to the mix.
He said the surge in the number of young people taking up elective positions across the political strata was a direct result of the bill.
He said the action was well for the growth of democracy.
“The revolution has already begun and the pattern is changing whether immediate or not.
“The electorate are no fools and with the opportunity presented at the upcoming polls, they must begin addressing the anomalies by changing the voting pattern away from the expected norm.
“More people are now becoming more aware and concerned about the capacity of those willing to take up positions.
“It’s no longer the case of belonging to the two political juggernauts of either APC or PDP but what do you really have to contribute.
“The not-too-young-to-run bill was a great breakthrough in our democratic space, one where we set a great milestone for ourselves as a nation.
“I’m a direct beneficiary of the law and so many youths are now coming together to test the waters of politics with a view to salvage the country from the doldrums of underachievement.
“It’s not about immediate gratifications, with more options opened to the people, it’s only a matter of time before the pendulum swings the other way.
“With the number of young people now contesting for various positions in different parties across the nation, 2019 elections would prove to be a landmark for our blossoming democracy,” he said.
Oyefeso, who hails from Odogbolu Local Government Area in Ogun, said he decided to run for the office of governor based on his vision for the state.
“I discovered that we still have a long way to go as the political class have for long kept the people in bondage denying them their rights to proper living.
“They remember the people when it is time for elections when they make all kinds of promises and then after the polls, things return to status quo.
“I am in the race to turn things from the way it used to be where politics has become a game of numbers and self aggrandisement.
“To show that even the youth could make meaningful impact in politics, if given the opportunity.”
Oyefeso, who is also the Executive Director, Nigerian Youths in Politics, said he adopted the ‘Leading-Edge’ agenda structured to enhance the socio-economic capacity of the southwest region.
According to him, exploiting fully the abundant human and mineral resources in Ogun amongst other states in the southwest will help maximise development.
“We want to change the pattern of education where every university would be transformed to mini industrial clusters as faculties and departments will lead instructional research.
“Every local government would be aided to generate power to help boost that produced at the national level by implementing the green power initiative.
“We are also going to ensure that agriculture at the grassroots level is supported with mechanised farming inputs which will also help attract more youths to the sector.
“We are going to adopt a collective responsibility approach because it takes all hands to be on deck to accelerate change and bring the kind of development we all seek,” he said.