By joshua 
The aspiration of Yemisi Oshaloto, popularly known as Erelu, to serve as Member Kogi State House of Assembly and to represent the good people of Yagba West State Constituency, is born out of passion and outright commitment to the development and core service to Yagba West constituents.
Recall that Yemisi Oshaloto declared her intentions to represent her Local Government Area in the State House and under the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC) few days ago. This came as a justification and morale boost to the Governor Yahaya Bello’s Women inclusiveness mantra; which has been a core value of the New Direction Government over the years since they came into power in 2016.
You will agree with us that the question on the lips of many would be; what effrontery to have a woman contesting for the state house seat or any position at that? These sets of people with this ideology cannot be blame as they have little or no information on the origin of Yagba land. Why one would not totally blame the doubters is due to the fact that women before now, have little or no chance at all to contest for elective positions. And since the creation of the state on 27 August 1991, by the Military Government of President General Ibrahim Babangida, no woman has ever been elected as member in Yagba West Constituency.
Now let us go back in history; Yagba Land is believed and according to documented chronicles, to have been established by a Princess who left Old Oyo with her people to settle at Akata. She was generally and popularly called Iya Agba (i.e. the old woman) from where the Yagba people derived their name and dialect. Also from the oral history account provided by Iyekolo, she stated that Iya Agba had three male children, and each of them proceeded to create the following settlements; the oldest boy remained at Akata with his mother, the younger boy migrated to build a settlement at present Ẹgbẹ, while the youngest boy migrated to develop a settlement at Eri. It was believed that the oldest brother later founded what we now have as Odo Eri and Odo Ere; which is capital of Yagba West Local Government Area.
From the brief analogy above, it has proven that Yagba people from inception are gender sensitive and accommodating race. And judging by their hospitality, exposure, and sense of equity, one can then call the Yemisi Oshaloto aspiration an inception ideology long overdue.
Yemisi Oshaloto has offered herself as tool for the repositioning of Yagba Land, particularly Yagba West Local Government Area when given the chance and mandate to serve in the State House of Assembly. It has then become a need for all aspirants to down their tools and support this fearless, courageous, and service oriented woman, who is bold enough to declare her intentions against all odds.
The 8th Assembly of the Kogi State House will do just fine with a Yemisi Oshaloto as member. This is a project beyond sentiment and hate, this is a project for equity and fairness, and lastly a project for history to be revived and justify.
Idèrà De 2023! Support Yemisi Oshaloto for Kogi State 8th House of Assembly.
Signed:
Yagba West Youth Consultative Forum
21st April, 2022.