A brewing dispute has emerged in Osun State involving the Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Moshood Olagunju, and the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens (CCNC), Osun chapter, over alleged irregularities in the nomination process for the National Youth Conference (Confab) committee.
The CCNC, in a statement issued by its Chairman, Akinkunmi Musa Abdulsalam, accused Olagunju of partiality, secrecy, and poor management in selecting delegates for the Confab committee. The group alleged that youth organizations active in past civil engagements, particularly those that influenced the Federal Government’s decision to hold the Confab, were sidelined.
According to the CCNC, the Commissioner omitted their nominated male representative without explanation and instead favored individuals loyal to his camp.
Abdulsalam claimed, “The entire selection was conducted without consultation, transparency, or fairness. Comrades who were instrumental in the advocacy leading to this national conversation were systematically excluded. The move seems like an attempt to politicize the process for personal interests.”
He further alleged that instead of recognizing contributors to the advocacy, the Commissioner imposed unfamiliar faces who played no role in the public sensitization efforts.
The group also raised alarms over what they described as a suspicious alliance between the Commissioner and a Personal Assistant to the State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who they alleged has been illegally holding office for eight years.
Calling this partnership unhealthy, the CCNC stated it was being used to manipulate internal operations of the Osun State Ministry of Youth Affairs, turning the agency into a stronghold for loyalists while excluding deserving youth stakeholders.
CCNC emphasized that the issue was not just about gender but about rewriting history and erasing the contributions of those who initiated the Confab conversation.
“The Governor must take decisive steps. The youth are growing agitated, and the risk of escalation is real. Any representative who didn’t contribute to the cause lacks the moral ground to speak for Osun youths nationally,” the CCNC warned.
They also demanded transparency in the selection process and full inclusion in planning and representation phases going forward.
In his response, Commissioner Olagunju defended the selection process, explaining that the Ministry acted on instructions from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports in Abuja.
He stated that the federal directive required equal gender representation (50/50), which necessitated alterations to initial nominations across states, including Osun.
“I was mandated to submit eight names, with one slot automatically assigned. These are not beneficiaries but committee members for the Confab,” he clarified.
Olagunju added that during a virtual meeting with his counterparts from 36 states, he challenged the sudden shift to a 70/30 gender ratio, but was informed it was a ministerial directive. He noted that female nominees were subsequently submitted by the Osun branches of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The Commissioner revealed that the CCNC was invited to submit a female nominee but refused, insisting on keeping their original male candidate. He described this refusal as indicative of ulterior motives.
“To encourage compliance, I sent them Ekiti State’s list for reference. But they rejected it, accused me of manipulation, and even threatened protests. They said they had no female members, and I suggested they nominate anyone—even a girlfriend—to meet the directive,” he revealed.
Olagunju asserted that Osun’s involvement in the Confab would not be derailed by a single group’s defiance.
“If the CCNC remains rigid, we’ll pick another group,” he added.
He also accused the CCNC of attempting to blackmail him and confirmed that he had informed security agencies after receiving threats of protests scheduled for Monday.
The Commissioner stressed that the selection process was fair and federal-compliant, dismissing allegations of bias.
“Anyone in doubt should contact the Federal Youth Minister to verify the directive,” he concluded.
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