Politics

ALGON members are noise makers, Oyo people are solidly behind Makinde on LG management – Oyo PDP

Published

7 years ago

December 1, 2019

The Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described members of the sacked local government chairmen under the aegis of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) as mere noise makers who want to keep benefiting from illegal conducts.

The PDP in a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Engineer Akeem Olatunji said that the ALGON members who were raising issues about Governor Seyi Mankinde’s proposed composition of the Local Governments leadership as swimming against the tide of public opinion in the state.

According to the PDP, there is every need to reconstitute the leadership in the Local Governments and the LCDAs, noting that such step will be in the right direction and in satisfaction of the yearning of a teeming majority of residents in the State.
“As a party, the PDP wishes to tell the governor to ignore the latest rants of the sacked illegal council chairmen on the planned appointment, stating that it was another tactic to hold the people of the State to ransom by crippling governance at the grassroots.

“The sacked chairmen claiming to still be members of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Oyo State despite having been sacked legally had attacked Governor Makinde over a reported plan to appoint caretaker chairmen for local councils, a step which the PDP described as baseless noise-making that cannot hold water,” the party said.

The party also maintained that the former chairman’s rant was medicine after death, because the circumstances that led to their sack were different from what they portray to the unsuspecting public, as they got into office through illegality and wanton disobedience to court order and that their election or more or less undemocratic coronation could not stand.

The statement further read: “Our attention has been drawing to the latest rants of some individuals who identify themselves, though illegally, as Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in which they tried to paint the Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, in bad light over his reported plan to appoint interim management committees for local councils ahead of election into the councils.

“We would like to place on record that the acclaimed spokesman of the Association, who signed the said statement and his fellow journeymen are impostors, who are attempting to deceive the unsuspecting members of the public.

“Ever since the illegal chairmen were caught up in the web of the law, Mr Abass Alesinloye and his co-travelers have become jobless irritants, acting like rambunctious children and looking for every opportunity to seek relevance, which has long left them following the exit of their party from government.

“While we consider it pedestrian and unsound for Alesinloye to take jibes at Governor Makinde, a man who has been above boards in his dealing and is becoming renowned as Mr Due Process and Mr Rule of Law, going by his unpartisan approach to the governance of Oyo State, we are quick to concede that expecting decorum from the APC will be asking for too much, as no one cannot give what he does not have.

“For the information of Alesinloye, who we suspect has been on a lone voyage of irresponsibility and noise-making, as other sacked chairmen with means of livelihood have since returned to their jobs, the people of Oyo State have been the ones yearning for government structure at the grassroots, with the latest testament to this being the shouts of “choose caretaker chairmen for local governments” at the House of Assembly chambers last Tuesday, when Governor Makinde was presenting the 2020 budget.

“Therefore, the people of the state are solidly behind Governor Makinde and we are sure that if Alesinloye and his party can embark on a survey, they will see that the government would be lifting a heavy burden from the necks of the people if, indeed, it goes ahead with the appointment of interim management committees at the local government pending election into the councils next year.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, Governor Makinde did not offend any section the Nigerian Constitution as far as issues of the sacked former local government leadership are concerned in the state and he would not be offending any if he, indeed, appoints replacement for the sacked chairmen, who have since turned themselves into busybodies. The same is also true about his handling of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), the Governor has not flouted any rule and this applies to everything that has to do with governance in the state in the last six months.

“As far as we are concerned, the Makinde government is well-rested on the pillars of democratic norms and ethos, as well as popular votes of the people and will not do anything to trample on the constitution like the immediate past government of the APC, which foisted the illegality that the sacked chairmen represent.

“We wish to recall that the so-called ALGON for which Alesinloye has been speaking was a beneficiary of an election that was basically an affront on the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Whereas, the Constitution recognised only 33 local governments in Oyo State, the illegal election that brought in the jesters being led by Alesinloye was conducted into 68 Local Governments and Local Council Development Authorities (LCDAs), something that is unknown to the Constitution.

“What was expected of any administration that adheres to the Rule of Law is to conduct elections into only constitutionally- recognised councils, while keeping the LCDAs for administrative convenience only. But since the immediate past government could not allow itself to be guided by the Constitution, no right-thinking government will allow the continuous perpetuation of illegal acts by allowing a set of people who took office through unconstitutional means to continue to keep that office.

“As it is widely believed, evil thrives only where the good people refuse to take action. By participating in an election that was banned by the courts, the said ALGON members cannot expect to remain in office if the right things must be done. As far as we are concerned, the matter between ALGON and the government of Oyo State is before the court of competent jurisdiction. They should await the verdict of the court in that regard or are they afraid of their shadows?”

Politics

Two-Term Ex-Oyo Lawmaker Dumps APM, Accuses Makinde Govt Of Neglect

Published

8 hours ago

October 9, 2026

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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.

Politics

2027: Ibarapa will deliver massive votes for APC, Ayandele tells Makinde’s commissioner

Published

9 hours ago

October 9, 2026

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A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, Dr Olusola Ayandele, has faulted the claim by the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ademola Ojo, popularly known as Ijaya, that the Allied Peoples Movement controls the political landscape in Ibarapa.

Ayandele described the commissioner’s position as an illusion, insisting that the political strength of any party would ultimately be determined by votes cast during elections, rather than claims made at political gatherings.

He expressed confidence that the APC would secure massive votes across Ibarapa in the 2027 general elections, saying his recent mobilisation activities and those of other party stakeholders reflected growing support for the opposition party in the area.

Speaking on the political situation in the zone, the APC chieftain said the electorate had become more politically conscious and would assess parties and candidates based on their records, credibility and commitment to the people’s welfare.

“Ojo is simply living in an illusion that he has political strength in Ibarapa which he does not have. The era when politicians could deceive the people with empty propaganda and manufactured political structures is gone,” Ayandele said.

He added that the people would not be swayed by what he described as political grandstanding or claims of popularity that had yet to be demonstrated at the grassroots.

Ayandele maintained that his recent political engagement in Ibadan was not a publicity stunt but part of a broader mobilisation effort aimed at strengthening the APC across Ibarapa.

He said more political stakeholders and supporters were identifying with the party, expressing optimism that the development would translate into votes in the next general elections.

The APC chieftain challenged Ojo and the APM leadership to demonstrate their claimed political influence through electoral performance rather than public declarations.

“Political strength will ultimately be measured by votes cast at polling units and not by claims made at political gatherings,” he said.

Ayandele urged APC members and supporters in the area to intensify grassroots mobilisation and remain committed to the party ahead of the elections.

He said the 2027 polls would provide an opportunity for voters to assess the competing parties and decide which candidates they believed could best address their concerns.

“We welcome Ojo to the political contest. Let him continue to make his claims, but 2027 will be the ultimate test. When the votes are counted, the people of Ibarapa will demonstrate clearly where their confidence lies,” he said.

Ayandele also expressed confidence in the APC’s prospects in the presidential and senatorial contests, saying he expected voters in the zone to support President Bola Tinubu, Senator Sharafadeen Alli and other candidates of the party.

However, his projection of massive APC votes in Ibarapa remains a political claim ahead of the 2027 elections, with the eventual outcome to be determined by voters at the polls.

Politics

Oyo South: Oseni restates commitment to people-centred legislation

Published

15 hours ago

October 9, 2026

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Oyo South and member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has reaffirmed his commitment to people-centred legislation, saying the needs and aspirations of constituents must remain central to lawmaking and governance.

Oseni said effective representation must go beyond the passage of bills to addressing the challenges confronting communities, promoting sustainable development and facilitating interventions that improve the welfare of the people.

‎He stated this in a statement issued on Friday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan.

‎The lawmaker recalled that he had championed a community-based governance approach during the last election, emphasising grassroots participation and the need to incorporate the views of constituents into decisions affecting their lives.

‎According to him, the initiative was designed to strengthen communication between elected representatives and the people, enabling him to identify local priorities, understand emerging challenges and pursue appropriate solutions through legislative and other institutional channels.

‎Oseni said the approach had provided opportunities for engagement with community leaders, artisans, traders, market men and women, religious leaders, youths, women, teachers and other stakeholders. He added that the interactions had sustained dialogue on community needs and reinforced the importance of listening to constituents.

‎“This people-centred approach has strengthened trust in governance and reaffirmed our conviction that democracy works best when leaders listen,” he said, stressing that regular engagement was necessary to understand the concerns of different groups and ensure that their voices informed decisions affecting them.

‎He further said people-centred legislation should translate into tangible benefits through the facilitation of essential infrastructure, social interventions and other development initiatives. Such efforts, he added, should focus on improving livelihoods, strengthening local economies and expanding access to basic amenities through appropriate legislative and institutional processes.

‎The APC chieftain maintained that the responsibility of elected representatives extended beyond lawmaking to protecting the interests of constituents, encouraging innovation and supporting initiatives that could improve their welfare. He said representation should ultimately be measured by its contribution to addressing the everyday challenges of the people.

‎“Our responsibility as lawmakers goes beyond passing laws. It also involves protecting people’s dreams, nurturing innovation and safeguarding their welfare. We intend to expand and extend this initiative so that everyone can participate in our shared vision of building an Oyo South that works for all,” he said.

‎Oseni expressed his determination to deepen grassroots participation and strengthen collaboration among communities and development stakeholders, saying inclusive governance was essential to achieving sustainable development. He said his vision was to ensure that the concerns of constituents received appropriate attention and that representation translated into meaningful development across Oyo South.