Ordinarily, one would not dignify the recent charade issued under the banner of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Cross River State chapter, with a response. But in moments such as this, silence might be misconstrued as complicity. The self-styled “stakeholders” who authored that tragic press release are less representatives of the youth and more survivors of a collapsing political structure — scavenging for relevance in the ruins.
That the NYCN — once a beacon of youthful conscience — now serves as a mouthpiece for hollow men is not just unfortunate; it is a betrayal. These individuals, having lost all claim to integrity or independence, now specialize in the absurd: issuing press releases so laughably sycophantic they read like dictated memos from a frightened aide. The latest, aimed at disparaging Comrade Dan Obo while canonizing Senator Eteng Jones, is a masterstroke in political ventriloquism. Mr Dan Obo is from the Central Senatorial District and so reserves the right to air his opinions the way he feels.
Let us be clear: Senator Eteng is not running against an opponent — he is running against the bitter truth of his own underwhelming record. His greatest threat lies not in any political rival, but in the simmering disappointment of a people betrayed. The attempt by NYCN to present this political Titanic as a statesman is not just laughable, it is insulting to the intelligence of Central Senatorial District constituents.
Dan Obo, by contrast, remains one of the few who have dared to speak truth to power — a rare quality in a climate where moral courage has been replaced with transactional loyalty. His assertion that “any party that gives Eteng Jones the ticket will lose the election” is not a personal jab; it is an articulation of public sentiment. One only needs to leave the air-conditioned echo chambers of these “youth stakeholders” to understand how deeply that truth resonates.
Instead of spending what little credibility they have left defending the indefensible, these so-called youth leaders would do well to stay their hands from further inciting the disdain of the people. The Central Senatorial District is no playground for overzealous errand boys trying to deodorize political rot.
Let this be the final warning: we see through the gimmicks and we will not sit idly by while desperate men attempt to drag a noble institution through the mud for crumbs of political favour.
#ODENEWAMEDIA
