Youths in Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State have protested alleged political marginalisation of Constituency Two, which includes Irun, Ogbagi, Ese and Afin. Operating as Concerned Youths of Akoko North West, the group issued an open letter to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa demanding equitable distribution of political appointments. The letter was signed by Adefemi Adamu Elegbeleye, Afinjuomo Oladimeji Stephen and Fagbuyi Ojo. They accused the current administration of concentrating high-profile federal and state positions in Constituency One, comprising Arigidi and Okeagbe.
The youths cited the Federal Character Principle, arguing that the imbalance undermines equity and denies loyal party members their dividends of democracy. They noted that Constituency One has held the House of Representatives seat consecutively, currently occupied by Hon. Ifeoluwa Ehindero and previously by Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo. The letter listed key officeholders from Constituency One, including Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior; Prof. Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of State for Finance; APC Local Government Chairman Obanla Kehinde; Hon. Nathaniel Adojutelegan, Federal Commissioner at the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission; and Hon. Elder Akande, Commissioner for Water Resources in Ondo State.
Others named were Hon. Tunji Abayomi, Chairman of the Governing Council of Adekunle Ajasin University; Hon. Muyiwa Asagunla, board member of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic; and Hon. Tokunbo Kayode, Chairman of Commerce and Industry. The group called for a review of appointments and urged the governor and APC leadership to prioritise Constituency Two in future nominations.
The protest by youths in Akoko North West lays bare the simmering discontent in Constituency Two, where residents feel locked out of power despite their political loyalty. The naming of specific officeholders—from Bunmi Tunji-Ojo as Minister of Interior to Elder Akande as Commissioner for Water Resources—reveals a visible concentration of appointments in Constituency One, turning equity into a contested issue within the APC's local calculus.
This is not merely about numbers but about perception and inclusion in a political economy where appointments signal recognition and access. The invocation of the Federal Character Principle is strategic, framing marginalisation not as grievance but as a breach of national norms. When a single constituency produces a minister, a federal commissioner, a state commissioner, and multiple board appointees, it feeds narratives of exclusion, especially in a region with deep political consciousness and APC loyalty.
For ordinary residents of Irun, Ogbagi, Ese and Afin, the stakes are tangible: fewer appointments mean fewer avenues for influence, fewer development projects, and diminished visibility in state affairs. Youths who remain active in party mobilisation expect returns on that loyalty, particularly in job-scarce environments.
This pattern mirrors broader tensions across Nigeria's federal structure, where dominant political clusters within local governments or senatorial districts often consolidate power, triggering internal party fractures and weakening grassroots cohesion over time.
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