Controversy Rocks 2025 Oyo Youth Summit Awards as Committee Sidelines Top Vote-Getter for Government Appointee with Less Votes
The credibility of the 2025 Oyo State Youth Summit Awards is under fire after allegations emerged that the winner of the “Impactful Young Leader in Governance” category was selected in defiance of the public voting outcome.
Adediran Abiodun Sunday, one of the nominees in the governance category, has accused the award committee—under the auspices of the Oyo State Ministry of Youth and Sports—of “deliberately subverting the will of the people” after he was denied the award despite leading the public vote.
“The process was rigged,” Sunday alleged in a strongly worded statement released over the weekend. “I garnered 36% of the votes (1,509 votes) as of the close of voting on Friday, April 18, while my closest contender, Dikko Salami, had 27% (1,138 votes). Yet, the committee chose to present the award to him.”
Sunday claims technical issues plagued the voting portal, but his supporters were undeterred. “There were challenges with the website during the voting period,” he said, “but my people pushed through and voted massively, refusing to be discouraged.”
The controversy deepened as Sunday pointed fingers at top government officials, alleging that political favoritism influenced the final decision. “Under the influence of Hon. Wasilat Adegoke, Commissioner for Youth and Sports, and other committee members, the award was handed to my counterpart—an appointee of Governor Seyi Makinde. This sends a dangerous message that merit and popular support mean nothing when favoritism takes the stage,” he said.
Salami, the award recipient, currently serves as Chairman of the Oyo State Pacesetter Transport Services, a government agency.
Efforts to reach the Ministry of Youth and Sports for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. The Ministry has not issued any official statement explaining the discrepancy between the voting results and the eventual winner.
Sunday described the incident as “a betrayal of the very youths the summit was meant to inspire.”
“What should have been a platform to celebrate integrity and youth excellence has instead become a symbol of selective recognition and political manipulation,” he said. “We are not against honorary awards, but why ask the people to vote only to disregard their decision?”
He is demanding the public release of the full voting results and transparency in the selection process. “We cannot build a future on bias and silence,” Sunday said.
The Oyo Youth Summit is an annual event organised by the state government to recognise young individuals making significant impacts across various sectors. This year’s edition, however, now risks being remembered for controversy rather than celebration.
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Enoch Oyedibu
Brazen Investigative Journalist with a deep interest for tracking the grassroots impacts of government procurement.