PVC Drive: Oriire Youth Council Sensitizes Churches, Markets, Palaces, Visits Stakeholder

The Oriire Youth Council yesterday officially began its week-long #OriireFirst PVC Drive across the 10 wards of the Local Government Area, with a series of impactful visits to communities, churches, traditional institutions and political leaders.

The exercise commenced at Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun, Onilaaru (Ward 1) where delegates of the Council were warmly received and allowed to address the congregation. Speaking on behalf of the Council, PRO II, Ojo Oluwasegun Emmanuel, reminded members that the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) is a God-given tool for citizens to decide who leads them, quoting Proverbs 29:2 to emphasize the importance of righteous leadership.

“We are not here to tell you who to vote for — that decision is yours,”
he said,
“but every eligible person must ensure they are registered and their votes count.”

The delegation then proceeded to Iluju Market (Ward 1) where traders and artisans were sensitized on the importance of obtaining their PVCs. They also visited First Baptist Church, Iluju (Ward 1) and Olorunda Baptist Church, Olorunda (Ward 3), before moving to Alaafia Oluwa Baptist Church, Tewure (Ward 2), each time delivering the same civic message that voter participation is key to the development of Oriire

In Orile-Aipo (Ward 1), the team paid homage to Oba Thomas Ajadi Onaolapo, the Alaipo of Orile-Aipo, who welcomed the initiative and commended the Council for reaching the grassroots.

The day’s activities concluded with a visit to the residence of Rt. Hon. ‘Gunju Ojo, former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, at Oke-Anu, Ogbomoso. While commending the Council’s non-partisan integrity, Hon. Ojo reflected on his contributions to grassroots development, recalling how,

as Deputy Speaker between 1999 and 2003, he chaired the House Committee that first recommended the creation of 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Oyo State. He noted that the recommendation was later approved by the 8th Assembly and signed into law by the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi in 2016, a move that has since brought governance closer to the people.

Ex-Officio 1 of the Oriire Youth Council and Member representing Oriire Youths at the Oyo State Youth Parliament, Joshua Ojo Aderemi, told pressmen after the day’s engagements that the Council’s approach was intentional:

“We are engaging religious leaders, traditional rulers, market associations and political stakeholders to create a culture of participation. Our message is simple: without PVCs, Oriire cannot speak at the ballot box, and without participation, development will continue to elude us.”

The National Chairman of the Council, Sarafadeen Isiaq Owonikoko, praised the reception they received at every stop, while National Secretary, Sanusi Olalekan, reaffirmed that the PVC Drive remains a purely civic effort to awaken Oriire’s over 800 towns and villages to their electoral power.

The team was joined by representatives of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), led by Mr. Adeniyi Oluseyi Gideon (COMO), who further enlightened the people on the need to collect unclaimed PVCs domiciled at the INEC office.

Delegates on the Council’s train for the day included:

Sarafadeen Isiaq Owonikoko – National Chairman
Ajala Oluwaseun – Assistant National Secretary
Joshua Ojo Aderemi – Ex-Officio 1 and Youth Parliamentarian
Aluko Tosin – Ward 3 Secretary
Olarewaju Nafiu – Ward 3 Representative
Saheed Kazeem – Welfare Director
Sanusi Olalekan – National Secretary
Akorede Phebian Jacob – Financial Secretary

The week-long drive continues today in Wards 9 and 10, as the Council intensifies its mission to raise voter registration and turnout figures in Oriire Local Government Area.