The Oyo State Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Comrade Lekan Bello, has strongly condemned what he described as the disgraceful, reckless and embarrassing conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Wing following the public humiliation of Hon. Saheed Fijabi at the party’s Youth Summit held on Tuesday at the Civic Centre, Ibadan.
Comrade Bello described the incident as a national embarrassment and a clear manifestation of the breakdown of order, discipline and leadership within the APC, stressing that a political party incapable of managing its internal affairs lacks the moral authority to aspire to govern Oyo State.
Reacting to the incident in a statement made available to journalists, the PDP youth leader expressed deep concern that a gathering expected to promote modern political thinking, youth inclusion and solution-driven engagement degenerated into what he termed a convergence of uncouth conduct, driven by politics of hate, denigration and deliberate character assassination.
According to him, the summit represented a missed opportunity for the APC to engage constructively on pressing national and intraparty issues confronting the party in Oyo State. Instead, he observed that the event was dominated by personal attacks and aggressive behaviour reminiscent of violent and disorderly practices associated with garage toutism of past eras, rather than the issue-based politics required in contemporary governance.
Comrade Bello further noted that Hon. Saheed Fijabi, a two-term former Member of the House of Representatives, is a seasoned, intellectually grounded public servant who has served the APC faithfully at various levels and in different capacities. He described the treatment meted out to him as unjust and indicative of a political environment that no longer values loyalty, experience, intellectual depth or measurable contributions to public service.
Against this backdrop, the PDP youth leadership in Oyo State formally extended a hand of fellowship to Hon. Fijabi, inviting him to align with a political platform that, according to Comrade Bello, prioritises competence, civility and constructive engagement. He stated that the PDP remains a party where ideas are respected, experience is valued and leaders are encouraged to contribute meaningfully to public discourse without fear of harassment or denigration.
The PDP youth leader emphasised that the collective interest of Oyo State must supersede partisan considerations and personal ambitions, noting that this principle is particularly crucial given Hon. Fijabi’s current role as Chairman of the Oyo State at 50 Planning Committee — a responsibility that demands unity, maturity and bipartisan cooperation in the service of the state.
Comrade Bello concluded by calling on political youths across party lines to embrace decorum, tolerance and issue-based engagement, stressing that the future of leadership in Oyo State and Nigeria must be driven by ideas, competence and genuine commitment to development, rather than aggression, intimidation and character assassination.
