The reported spread of diphtheria across several local government areas of Oyo State has triggered fresh questions over the protection of children against vaccine-preventable diseases, with the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation accusing the state government of poor immunisation performance despite billions of naira in development funding.

The organisation, in a statement issued by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, called on Governor Seyi Makinde to urgently strengthen the state’s response to the outbreak and explain what had been done with funds provided to improve immunisation and primary healthcare delivery.

It cited childhood immunisation figures which, according to the organisation, put Oyo at the bottom of the six South-West states, with coverage rising from 51.3 per cent in 2024 to 55 per cent in the 2025–2026 figures it referenced.

The campaign organisation said the reported outbreak, alongside the figures, raised concerns about whether vaccination services were reaching children in vulnerable and underserved communities.

Diphtheria is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that commonly affects the nose and throat. It can cause breathing difficulties, heart complications and other serious health problems, particularly when diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Vaccination remains a key means of preventing the disease.

The organisation listed Atisbo, Ibadan North-West, Oyo West, Akinyele, Saki, Egbeda, Oriire, Ibadan North, Ibadan South-West, Iwajowa, Ona-Ara, Atiba, Lagelu, Ogbomosho North, Surulere and Oluyole among the local government areas reportedly affected.

However, it did not provide a breakdown of confirmed cases, fatalities or the dates of the reported infections in the statement.

It added that every child deserved protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and urged the government to demonstrate that its immunisation programme was effectively reaching communities at risk.

The organisation also called on the Director of Public Health to explain the factors behind the reported outbreak and account for resources spent on immunisation and disease prevention.

Oyo trails regional counterparts
The campaign organisation’s concern centres largely on the immunisation figures it cited, which suggest that Oyo has made slower progress than its South-West counterparts.

According to the figures, Oyo’s coverage increased by just 3.7 percentage points, from 51.3 per cent in 2024 to 55 per cent in the 2025–2026 survey figures referenced by the organisation.

Ogun recorded an increase from 52.1 to 63.9 per cent, Ondo rose from 59.8 to 84 per cent, and Osun improved from 54.4 to 78.1 per cent.

Across the South-West, the organisation said, immunisation coverage increased from 58.2 to 72.5 per cent.

The figures, if confirmed against the underlying survey reports and their methodology, would place Oyo behind its five regional counterparts and raise questions about the reach of its vaccination interventions.

The organisation argued that the state should explain why its progress remained comparatively limited, particularly when funding had been made available to strengthen immunisation services.

₦9.9bn in project receipts

The campaign organisation also questioned the results achieved under the World Bank-supported Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project.

It noted that Oyo is among 12 states participating in the project’s Immunisation Plus component, alongside Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau and Sokoto.

Citing available audited financial records, the organisation said cumulative World Bank/International Development Association funds received by Oyo under the project stood at approximately ₦9.832bn as of December 31, 2024.

It added that the state’s contribution of ₦41m and miscellaneous and interest income of ₦13.45m brought cumulative receipts to approximately ₦9.886bn.

The organisation argued that the reported funding and immunisation figures warranted a detailed review of how the resources had been deployed and what improvements they had delivered.

“Billions of naira in development financing must translate into measurable improvements in public health,” it said, adding that the financing carried obligations and should deliver value to the people.

It demanded the publication of updated project financial and implementation reports, including subsequent disbursements, expenditure by component, planned vaccination targets, actual coverage achieved and measures taken to reach underserved communities.

The organisation’s demands place the focus not only on the money received but also on the outcomes achieved, including whether children in communities with limited access to healthcare are being reached by routine vaccination programmes.

Calls for stronger outbreak response
Beyond the funding questions, the organisation urged the state government to work closely with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and relevant development partners to contain the reported outbreak and prevent further transmission.

It called for a stronger and more transparent public-health response, including an explanation of the challenges affecting immunisation delivery.

The organisation also questioned the continued engagement of a retired Primary Health Care Board IMPACT Programme Manager involved in project implementation, arguing that the scale of the programme and concerns about its outcomes made transparency in staffing and management essential.

It did not provide further details of the individual’s role or the circumstances surrounding the engagement in the statement.

“Oyo State has qualified medical and public-health professionals whose expertise should be effectively deployed to strengthen the system. We must insist on accountability and competent programme management,” it said

The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent media chat, describing the two-hour programme as a waste of time and accusing him of failing to address issues affecting residents.

The party said the governor should have used the opportunity to explain his administration’s response to insecurity, the state of public infrastructure and the management of funds received from the Federal Government.

The APC stated this in a statement issued on Monday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, and made available to journalists in Ibadan.

Makinde had appeared on a privately owned radio station in Ibadan on Sunday for a live interview during which he answered questions from a presenter.

However, the opposition party faulted the issues discussed during the programme, arguing that residents expected the governor to address pressing concerns affecting the state.

The APC also linked the reported resignation of the governor’s Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, to what it described as signs of internal challenges within the administration.

In the statement, the party said, “Many people have queried the choice of a privately owned radio station for Governor Makinde’s media engagement, but we all know that the state-owned Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) has become moribund under him in the last seven years.”

It alleged that the corporation’s land resources had been sold at low prices, its studios neglected and its staff subjected to poor treatment.

The APC further accused Makinde of spending much of the interview discussing his alleged disagreement with President Bola Tinubu over his presidential ambition rather than explaining his administration’s use of federal allocations and other funds.

According to the party, the governor should also have addressed the abduction of 20 prospective corps members from Oyo State in Imo State and explained what support or compensation had been provided to the victims and their families following their release.

The APC said the governor should prioritise governance and public needs over what it described as misplaced political ambition.

The party also revisited Makinde’s reported position that his administration would not award new contracts from December 31, 2025, questioning the rationale for the proposed N21bn expenditure on the Agbowo Shopping Complex, which it described as moribund.

It urged the governor to reconsider the proposed spending.

A two-term former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Peter Oyetunji, has resigned from the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), accusing Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration of neglecting Surulere Local Government.

Oyetunji, who represented Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere State Constituency, announced his resignation in a letter dated October 6 and addressed to the state chairman of the party.

The politician and town planner said his decision to leave the party was informed by what he described as unfulfilled promises to members and the absence of meaningful development in his local government.

He consequently asked the party to remove his name from its membership register at the state, local government and ward levels.

In the letter, Oyetunji lamented that Surulere had suffered years of neglect despite the support and loyalty of its people to the party and the governor.

“Within the last seven and a half years, there has been total blackout of meaningful development by the local government and the state government,” he said.

He added that Surulere had experienced “a complete neglect and absence of any meaningful people-oriented developmental project from state government”.

The former lawmaker also faulted the party’s leadership, alleging that it had become characterised by arrogance and deceit, with little regard for internal democracy, transparency and members’ welfare.

He further alleged that loyal and outspoken members who demanded accountability and progress had been subjected to deliberate gang-ups and victimisation.

“There have always been a deliberate gang-up and victimisation of loyal and outspoken members, who seek accountability and progress for the party and the people,” he said.

Explaining his decision to quit, Oyetunji said he could no longer justify remaining in the party after years of what he described as fruitless efforts.

“In view of the above, I can no longer in good conscience continue to remain in the party after eight years of fruitless effort,” he added.

The resignation comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, although Oyetunji did not disclose his next political move in the letter.

Efforts to obtain responses from the party’s leadership and the governor’s office to the allegations were not reflected in the information available for this report.