Key political figures, traditional leaders, and youth representatives from Kwara South converged on Omu Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area, on Sunday for a "Political Hangout." The event, held under the aegis of Kwara South G7, was a renewed effort to address rising insecurity and political disunity across the district.

The G7 comprises the seven local government areas of Ekiti, Oke Ero, Offa, Ifelodun, Irepodun, Oyun, and Isin. The group stated that the event was conceived to provide a platform for honest dialogue and collective action aimed at restoring peace and political stability in the region.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Host and Coordinator of the group, Prince Shuaib Olanrewaju, said the initiative was driven by profound concern over the district's declining security and weakening political cohesion.

"Our people are living in fear. Communities have suffered repeated attacks, and our farms and roads are no longer safe," Prince Olanrewaju stated, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.

"We can only make progress if we rise above party differences and work together to protect our region and build its future," he said.

Olanrewaju commended the Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his administration's efforts in combating insecurity, as well as the Deputy Senate Leader and Senator representing Kwara South Oyelola Ashiru, for drawing national attention to the region's plight.

"The governor has shown commitment, and Senator Ashiru's voice at the National Assembly has further put our security challenges on the map," Olanrewaju added.

The group coordinator, who reaffirmed the group's loyalty to the All Progressives Congress, described the party as the "natural political DNA of the Yoruba people of Kwara South," urging members to rally behind President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.

"We must support leaders with integrity and proven performance. Kwara South will never again be treated as an option in political calculations," he declared.

Delivering a lecture at the event, Barrister Femi Falade emphasised that insecurity in Kwara South was not merely a policing issue but a political one.

"We must get it right politically because leadership emerges through political means," Falade said.

"Money politics, godfatherism, and the neglect of youths have eroded trust. Until we empower our young people and revive our communities, insecurity will persist."

He further urged the governments at all levels to take concrete actions in rebuilding rural economies, saying that developing forest belts and rural infrastructure would help drive away criminal elements and attract legitimate economic activity.

Senator Oyelola Ashiru, in an interview with Arewa PUNCH, stressed that local government structures must be strengthened if insecurity in Kwara South is to be effectively contained.

"Security is everyone's business," Ashiru said. "The state must empower local councils and vigilante groups to enhance grassroots intelligence and protection.

"Banditry will reduce when local people are active participants in their own security."

Also present at the event, Professor Wale Sulaiman, a neurosurgeon and development advocate, called for unity of purpose and a return to the communal values that once defined the region.

"Unity is the foundation for development," he said. "We must revive our tradition of self-help, rebuild our infrastructure, and create opportunities for our youths. That is the only way to secure our future."

Other speakers, including youth leaders and traditional representatives, echoed the need for inclusiveness and moral renewal, urging citizens to prioritise the collective interest of Kwara South above personal or partisan ambitions.

In his closing remarks, Prince Olanrewaju paid tribute to political icons from the region, such as Chief J.S. Olawoyin, Senator Cornelius Adebayo, and Chief J.T. Obaoye describing them as "true patriots whose vision and courage shaped Kwara South's political identity.

"If we think Kwara South first in all we do, we will achieve greatness together," he echoed, aloud amid applause from attendees.