A political commentator, Folahanmi Odunayo, has criticised the recent endorsement of Chief Alex Ajipe for the Ondo North senatorial seat by the Owo Youths General Assembly, describing the move as poorly timed in Nigeria’s volatile political environment.
Odunayo, in a statement issued on Monday, acknowledged the importance of youth participation in politics but warned that endorsements made without broad consultations and strategic foresight could undermine the influence of youth organisations.
He noted that Nigeria’s political system, particularly at the sub-national level, remained fluid and unpredictable, driven by shifting alliances, party supremacy, zoning considerations and elite negotiations.
According to him, the political space for senatorial contests is yet to fully crystallise, with party structures and alignments still evolving across the district, making any early endorsement potentially risky.
The commentator argued that endorsing a candidate at this stage could expose the Owo Youths General Assembly to allegations of partisanship, thereby weakening its moral authority as a unifying platform for young people.
He added that youth groups were more effective when they focused on issue-based engagements, setting development agendas and demanding concrete policy commitments from aspirants rather than aligning prematurely with any individual.
Odunayo further warned that Nigeria’s political history was filled with cases where strong aspirants were edged out during party primaries or through last-minute elite consensus, a situation he said could leave early endorsers politically stranded.
He also raised concerns about the broader communal implication for Owo, stressing that a premature endorsement could project internal disunity and send the wrong signals to other stakeholders within the senatorial district.
Odunayo, however, clarified that his position was not a criticism of Chief Ajipe’s credentials or ambition but a call for strategic restraint, adding that a properly timed endorsement after clearer political alignments would carry greater weight.