ADC South-West Youth Summit Urges Young Nigerians to “Restart Nigeria”
By KEMI KASUMU
The Assistant National Youth Leader of the party, Olusi-Babatunde Adeola, apologised for the absence of the National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, and stressed that youth participation in politics remained non-negotiable.
The South-West Youth Wing of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on Nigerian youths to take active roles in politics and governance as part of efforts to “restart Nigeria.”
The call was made during the ADC South-West Youth Summit held on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Williamson Multipurpose Hall and Grounds in Ibadan.
The summit, themed “Restart Nigeria: Achieving Active Youth Participation in Nigerian Politics,” focused on encouraging youth involvement in governance ahead of the country’s evolving political landscape.
Speaking at the event, the Lagos State Youth Leader of the party, Ogun Babajide Adisa, popularly known as Comrade OBA, urged young Nigerians to participate actively in politics and contribute to building a government capable of repositioning the country.
He expressed concern over what he described as poor engagement between elected officials and young people, noting that many lawmakers had failed to organise town hall meetings to account for their stewardship.
Another speaker, Babatunde Daniel, charged ADC members to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and ensure adequate youth representation across political structures.
The Assistant National Youth Leader of the party, Olusi-Babatunde Adeola, apologised for the absence of the National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, and stressed that youth participation in politics remained non-negotiable.
She called on Nigerian youths to rise and “restart Nigeria,” citing what she described as the inability of the current administration to address the needs of young people adequately. According to her, the ADC was already putting structures in place to support youth participation from the grassroots to the national level.
Adeola also delivered a message from the party’s National Secretary and former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, who joined the programme virtually due to other national engagements.
In his remarks, Aregbesola emphasised the importance of youths in nation-building and assured participants of inclusive representation within the party. He said the ADC constitution provides for 35 per cent youth representation, 20 per cent representation for Persons with Disabilities, and 35 per cent representation for women.
The former governor criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing insecurity, hunger, poor electricity supply, unemployment, and economic hardship as major challenges confronting Nigerians.
Aregbesola further assured youths that the ADC was committed to addressing the nation’s problems if elected into power and urged them to support the party in future elections.
Speaking on preparations for the forthcoming governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states, the Osun State Youth Leader, Ademola Owoade, said the party was ready to challenge the incumbent administration led by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
He described the party’s governorship candidate, Najeem Folasayo Salaam Iwaloye, as an experienced grassroots politician with strong legislative and leadership credentials.
According to Owoade, Salaam’s eight years of legislative experience, alongside Aregbesola’s legacy in Osun State, positioned the ADC strongly ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
Youth leaders from across the South-West zone, including representatives from Oyo State, Ogun State, Ondo State, and Ekiti State, also attended the summit.
The event concluded with prayers for peaceful and successful elections in Osun and Ekiti states, as well as prayers for national progress.
