A bloc within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, known as the Emerging Leaders, has called for wider inclusion of young members in the party’s structure at all levels.

In a communiqué issued after its regular meeting on Saturday in Ibadan, the group demanded that 70 per cent of elective positions in the party, from the ward to the national level, be reserved for younger members. The group said such a measure was necessary to ensure effective participation and broader representation within the party.

The communiqué, jointly signed by 16 members including Saheed Lekan-Olayiwola, Hon. Toyose Ishola Akeem, Mogaji Abiola Oyeyemi and others, also congratulated Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda on his emergence as the new APC National Chairman. The group described his election as an opportunity for the party to reposition its internal democratic processes.

However, the Emerging Leaders expressed concern over what it described as undemocratic practices in the selection of the party’s candidate for the August 16 Ibadan North Federal Constituency bye-election. It linked the poor outcome of that election to flawed internal processes and urged the national leadership to prioritise transparent and credible congresses going forward.

The statement noted: “The call is to guard against a repeat of the last (2023) sham congresses that resulted in massive and disgraceful loss of resources and fortunes of the party.”

On reward systems within the APC, the group urged the national leadership to recognise and compensate grassroots members who, it said, had been working consistently for the cohesion and progress of the party.

The communiqué further appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with regional and national leaders, to address divisions allegedly fuelled by state-level actors. According to the group, resolving such internal disunity would be critical for the party’s performance in the 2027 general elections.