Residents of Ikoyi town, in Osun State’s Isokan local government council area, have advised political parties not to campaign in the community due to alleged marginalisation and lack development.
The community, through its young representatives, expressed reservations about the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord, accusing both political parties of failing to provide political representation and infrastructure in the area.
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the Youth Leader, Orolade Abiodun, who is also a palace chief, stated that the town has been under-represented in elected posts since the formation of Osun State.
He warned that unless immediate action is made to remedy the situation, political actors from the impacted parties may be barred from canvassing for votes in the community.
“We may not welcome them to canvass for votes if our demands are not met,” Abiodun stated.
He urged important political heavyweights such as Bisi Akande, Gboyega Oyetola, and Governor Ademola Adeleke to ensure that Ikoyi had the opportunity to field candidates in upcoming elections.
According to Abiodun, Ikoyi has never produced a candidate for the House of Representatives, despite the fact that other communities in the same federal constituency have done so several times.
He encouraged the APC to yield its ticket to the town, emphasising the need of fairness and inclusiveness in the democratic process.
On the state assembly floor, he revealed that the Irewole and Isokan local governments have had a long-standing rotating agreement since 1991.
“In our constituency, the arrangement has always been that representation rotates every four years between the two local governments to maintain balance,” he stated.
He voiced alarm about suggestions that the current arrangement would be changed, claiming that measures were underway to keep incumbents who had switched to the Accord Party.
“The present lawmaker is from Irewole, and now it is Isokan’s time. We urge Accord stakeholders to return the ticket to Isokan in the sake of equity,” Abiodun said.