By Comrade Idowu Akinmoye
Political leadership at the grassroots must reflect the spirit of fatherhood, selfless, protective, and committed to the collective good of the people, not personal gain.
In the. Oshodi Local Government Area of Lagos, this principle is essential if we are to nurture true “men of the people” who genuinely represent the aspirations of the community.
When local leaders prioritize selfish interests, governance loses credibility, and public trust in the system closest to the people begins to erode.
The idea of a third-term agenda in any political office is fundamentally regressive. At the local government level, it undermines the very foundation of grassroots democracy, breeds unnecessary tension, and divides communities that should otherwise be united.
Local government remains the first point of contact between citizens and governance; when term limits are manipulated here, it sends a dangerous message that leadership is about personal survival rather than public service.
A third term at the grassroots level is nothing short of political backwardness. It weakens democratic values, obstructs community development, encourages godfathers, and deepens divisions among wards, families, and interest groups. Such a path does not build trust; it destroys it.
In politics driven by self-interest, there is no middle ground, only the eventual collapse of accountability and order.
At the local level, we are faced with a clear choice: to uphold democratic rotation, encourage fresh ideas, and promote inclusiveness, or to allow public offices across local, state, and federal levels to gradually become private estates controlled by a few.
The path forward is clear and non-negotiable.
We must firmly reject any third-term agenda within our local governments, particularly in the Oshodi Local Government Area of Lagos, and collectively demand leadership that is rooted in service, integrity, Accessibility and accountability, leaders who serve the people, not themselves.
QUOTE
A third-term agenda in any political system is a step backward. It erodes public trust in democracy and sows division within the polity. We must reject it outright’
—— Comrade Idowu
Advocate: The Articulates.
