In a bid to foster unity and in a show of maturity and display of visionary leadership, the erstwhile president of the Gbaramatu Youth Council, GYC, Worldwide, Hon. Shadrach Ebikeme, on Sunday, March 10, 2024, held a reconciliation meeting with all the presidential candidates that participated in the recently held youth election in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Recall that in the election held on March 1 in Oporoza Town, the headquarters of the kingdom, three candidates in the personalities of Mr. Egbejule Kingsley, Comr. Osuokoro Daniel, and Comr. Ikenya Wisdom, keenly contested for the seat of president in their bid to lead the umbrella body of youths.

Mr. Egbejule however emerged president in the election conducted by the GYC Electoral Committee as led by its chairman Mayor Ipopo Present and secretary Comr. Otuaro Joshua, in a process that was described as transparent, peaceful, free and fair, with the losers accepting the results as announced by the Electoral Committee.

Nonetheless, Hon. Ebikeme, a former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa On Community Development, determined to ensure unity of purpose among stakeholders in the youth body hosted the presidential contestants to a reconciliation meeting to reemphasize the roles each of them as Gbaramatu youths and leaders has to play in the growth of the GYC and the kingdom at large.

The erstwhile president who noted that every election has its flaws as no system is entirely perfect, however urged the GYC President Mr. Egbejule, and the runners up Comr. Osuokoro and Comr. Ikenya to set aside any differences and then join hands together to work with the leadership of the youth body to ensure the aims and objectives are fulfilled.

According to a phone video clip of the reconciliation meeting seen by PENGlobal Community, the four youth leaders were seen laughing together and freely expressing their opinions, which in summary was a statement of their support to the current youth president Mr. Egbejule.

Hon. Ebikeme tasked the youth leaders to focus on the future, and stressed that as leaders they cannot afford to fail the youth body hence all should be willing to contribute to the growth and success of the umbrella body of youths which is one big family with opportunities for all.

As published on PENGlobal, less than 48 hours after the election, Comr. Ikenya had congratulated the winner and GYC President Mr. Egbejule in a congratulatory note wherein he emphasized that "We will always put the interests of Gbaramatu first" while Comr. Osuokoro had also commended the election process and expressed his resolve to work with Mr. Egbejule. On his part, Mr. Egbejule had continued to call for collaboration among the youths as expressed even in his acceptance speech on the day of inauguration stressing further that his victory is for all.

But despite their separate acceptance and speech making, they have not all met together at one sitting. Hence the effort of Hon. Ebikeme in bringing the candidates together after the election is quite commendable and could be described as a skilled marksman in leadership, having knowledge of the power of unity in effecting positive change that is only possible in an atmosphere of peace.

The act of Hon. Ebikeme should also serve as an example to other leaders who should realise that politics is only an exercise that will come and go, but the people who participate in the exercise will always remain. And as such it is only wise that both losers and winners should not forget that their quest to lead in the first instance is towards a common agenda (if not pretentious) which can be fulfilled if together they join forces rather than engage in the "pull him down" syndrome.

#penglobalpolitics