Ekiti people return to the polls Saturday (tomorrow) for an off-cycle governorship election that allows them to either retain incumbent Biodun Oyebanji or elect a new governor from among the opposition candidates.

With 13 candidates cleared for the election by INEC, the governorship race pits Mr Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress against a field of challengers, including younger candidates who are determined to upend decades of political recycling in Ekiti.

The Not Too Young To Run Bill created a unique opportunity for Nigeria’s youngsters to move beyond advocacy and channel their youthful, innovative energy into challenging the system that has allegedly emasculated them for decades.

Peoples Gazette spotlights four under-40 candidates in Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti.

Blessing Ayobami Abegunde (NNPP)

Mr Abegunde is running on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the Ekiti State gubernatorial election.

He hails from Isinbode Ekiti, in Ekiti East Local Government Area of the state. His campaign is anchored on youth empowerment, grassroots development, agricultural reforms and human capital development across the state.

In his Workers’ Day goodwill message on May 1, Mr Abegunde also vowed to resolve issues of delayed salaries and unemployment, if elected into office.

The NNPP’s candidate, 35, has a 3030-year gap with his running mate, Francis Ajayi, who is 65 and is the youngest of all the contenders in the race.

Awogbemi Bidemi Olaiya(APP)

Aged 36, Mr Olaiya is the flagbearer for the Action People’s Party. He has been hailed for his unique blend of corporate astuteness and local community organisation.

With his campaign focused on youth employment, the expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises, and addressing the state’s infrastructural gaps, Mr Olaiya sought to galvanise the support of young voters, for whom most of his plans were designed.

The candidate had also stressed the need for effective, tech-sensitive leadership to address the country’s multilayered challenges.

Akande Oluwasegun Samuel (AAC)

Mr Samuel of the African Action Congress brings to the race radical intellectualism and intense ideological fervour, both of which are rare in Ekiti’s electoral history.

Mr Samuel, 36, has been in the spotlight, at least among the youth, for his unapologetic grassroots campaign style. This, of course, shaped his engagement with prospective voters throughout his campaign.

Typical of the party’s founding philosophy, Mr Samuel vowed to pay considerable attention to structural social welfare, human rights advocacy, and civil service revitalisation.

Adetunji Victor Damilola (ZLP)

A 38-year-old, Damilola, is contesting on the platform of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Known for youthful dynamism and mature professional experience, Mr Damilola had endeavoured to galvanise support from young professionals passionate about his candidacy and promise to turn Ekiti around, especially in the areas of education, employment and technology.

His campaign is anchored not only in accessible healthcare models and an educational system but also in policies and youthful leadership that will rapidly transform the state.