Politics

LG crisis: AGF not properly briefed, his action selective—Oyo AG

Published

7 years ago

February 3, 2020

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo, on Monday, stated that the intervention of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on the dissolution of local government leadership in Oyo State was selective and as a result of lack of proper briefing.

Oyewo, who stated this while appearing on a Channels TV programme, Sunrise Daily, maintained that the AGF was not properly briefed on the local government situation in Oyo State.

According to him, the dissolved council chairmen were not properly constituted, having emerged from an election that was held in disobedience to an existing court order.

He said: “If he [AGF] were to be aware of the fact that the matter was sub judice, probably he would not have taken such wanton, liberal interpretation of his powers. His powers are guided by law, by the Constitution of the land and as interpreted by the court.”

Oyewo, a professor of Law and former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, added that the AGF lacked the power at large to enforce judgment without going through the process of the enforcement of judgment in compliance with the rules of the court that gave the judgment.

He added that Malami’s actions were partisan and not based on the Constitution, noting that though many APC-controlled states were operating Caretaker Committees and had dissolved elected local government leadership, policemen have not been sent to enforce “anybody’s rights as it were.”

Oyewo stated that though his office was not served with the AGF’s later dated 14th January, 2020 and that the letter only came to its notice on 22nd January, 2020, due to the seriousness of the letter, it penned a rejoinder to the AGF in which it made the following facts clear.

“One; there is no such Supreme Court judgment against Oyo State. Two, the Attorney General of the Federation does not have power, at large, to be enforcing judgment without going through the process of enforcement of the judgment in compliance with the rules of the court that gave the judgment.

“As if that was not alarming enough, a letter was written through the Inspector General of Police giving a direction that was supposed to be given to the chairman of APC in Oyo State and the chairman of ALGON to, as it was, reinstate local government and LCDA chairmen who have a matter in court against the Oyo State government. And the matter at that time was, and still is, at the court of Appeal.

“We wrote this to bring to the attention of the Inspector General of Police and, at the same time, we took steps before the proper forum for it to be decided, which is before the court, and that seemed to have untamed the ravaging effort of the Police and the people that they were trying to use.

“As you have heard, there was violence and all that, but carefully an ex parte order was granted against any further action of such parties without any court order that is emanating to give priority to the AGF or the Inspector General of Police to take those actions.”

According to Oyewo, the AGF’s actions were clearly not based on law or the Constitution of the land but purely partisan.

He further said: “Basically, the Attorney General of the Federation will have his reasons but they are not based on the Constitution. They are not based on law, because it [the action] was so partisan. You do not write a letter to the chairman of a party in a state directing the Governor to review. We run a federal system of government. If there is anything, and this has been settled by the Supreme Court, even under the regime of President [Olusegun] Obasanjo, where there was a dispute as to the creation of local governments and the government withheld the funds of Lagos State, the Supreme Court came out. If you have such issues you go to court and that was what we have done.”

Responding to the question on whether Governor Makinde had the powers to dissolve elected local governments chairmen, Prof. Oyewo noted that the election that brought the chairmen in was null and void, as it was conducted against an existing court order, which invalidated the constitution of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission.

He added that the Makinde administration inherited litigations between the sacked APC local government chairmen and the APC-controlled State Government under Senator Abiola Ajimobi and that the existence of a stay of execution on a judgment secured by the sacked chairmen left a vacuum in the local councils.

He stated that Governor Makinde only filled the vacuum pending the resolution of the matters or the time his administration could conduct a proper election into the local governments.

The Oyo AG said: “I think I have to give background to that. Before the present administration came into existence, the previous administration of Governor Ajimobi ran the caretaker committee system for seven years. In the twilight of that administration, against an existing court order that invalidated the composition of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission and also any attempt to use that [OYSIEC] to conduct that election, is null and void.

“Be that as it may, towards the twilight, it was supposed to be a booby trap so that by the time our administration comes in, irrespective of the mandate of the people that there should be a party alternation from APC to PDP, we now had to have an administration of APC at the local governments. Now, that is not even a problem. The matter is, that same APC local government composition went to court against Governor Ajimobi, which is the case that we inherited challenging the State Government because they heard rumours that the Governor wanted to dissolve them.

“Before we came in, the pleadings were there; Ajimobi said ‘I am not going to sack you’ and the matter should have ended there. But for one reason or the other, the judgment was given against the Government and that became the subject matter of appeal. That appeal led to a stay of execution and because there was a stay, there was a vacuum. And, of course, don’t forget that under Section 7 of the constitution, the State Government makes laws and there is the local government law that regulate the activities of Oyo State local governments.

“We must make a distinction in the light of the decisions of the court, between the local government administration and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). The LCDAs basically are inchoate creations within the realm of the arrangement of the State Government. So, a distinction must be made between the LCDAs and the local governments as they were. That distinction has never been made due to the conduct of the affairs as we inherited them. So, it was thought that this administration seems to have inherited an APC infrastructure including those on ground. It was thought let us have an audit, to see what was actually on ground and that was what led to the action of saying that they should step aside and allow some other people take a look at the account and all the affairs of the state and manage them until the matter is resolved. And the moment we resolve the matter of OYSIEC, then we can properly plan for the conduct of the election.”

When asked whether there was a possibility of the sacked chairmen coming back to office, Prof. Oyelowo said what the State Government did was to dissolve them and that if the court eventually pronounces the Government’s action null and void, Governor Makinde as someone who believes in and maintains the rule of law would not act in contravention.

“Of course, the bottom line of it is that the administration of Governor Makinde believes in the rule of law and we maintain it. If a judgment comes out of the court directing as it were that our action is null and void, of course that will be done.”

Prof. Oyewo further maintained that once all the ongoing issues surrounding the local government administration in the State are resolved, the Government would, within a short time, conduct a credible local government election and have the local government system running properly.

He said: “Seriously, some of these matters are not legal matters but political matters that need to have a legal context. What everybody wants is for the State to be able to resolve this matter, both in the aspect of the legality of it and in terms of the political process.

“Within a short time from now, we hope to conduct the election and have the administration properly running. If not for the litigations that are pending, it is something that should have been done almost immediately but we inherited those problems and we have to find a political and legal solution.

“As it is now, the local government matter is at the court of appeal; it is coming up now on the 27th of February. The one that we have got is coming up on the 5th of this month. All things being equal, before the end of the first quarter, everything should be resolved. And we should be able to conduct a free and fair election into the local governments.”

Politics

Ogbomoso Political Earthquake: Makinde Loses Ex-CoS, 32 APM Chieftains to APC

Published

3 days ago

November 10, 2026

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The immediate past Chief of Staff to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Segun Ogunwuyi, on Tuesday led 32 other political chieftains of the Allied Peoples Movement to the All Progressives Congress, in a major political realignment in Ogbomoso.

The defection, which took place at Oja’gbo, in front of Soun Ogunlola Hall, attracted a large crowd of APC members and supporters, forcing a disruption of vehicular movement in the area for more than three hours.

The defectors included Alhaji Rasak Gbadegesin, popularly known as Agbeti; Timothy Oyeniyi; Alabi Olateju; Dr Banji Folaranmi; Isaiah Adegbite; Peter Oyetunji; and the APM Chairman in Ogbomoso North Local Government Area, Jimoh Sikiru.

Also in the group were council secretaries, chiefs of staff, supervisory councillors and special assistants serving in Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South, Surulere and Ogo-Oluwa local government areas.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Ogunwuyi said they joined the APC to contribute to the party’s growth and strengthen its chances in the 2027 general elections.

He expressed confidence that the APC would win convincingly in Ogbomoso, adding that the new members were ready to work for the party’s success.

The APC State Chairman, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, welcomed the defectors and assured them of equal opportunities in the party.

He urged them to close ranks with existing members and work towards the victory of APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

Explaining his decision to leave the APM, Folaranmi accused the party of being run as a one-man organisation, alleging that Makinde was the only person effectively running its affairs.

The APC governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, described the defection as a significant blow to the APM, saying the departure of Ogunwuyi and other political figures showed that the party was losing influential members.

He said, “For the likes of Hon. Segun Ogunwuyi, Alhaji Rasak Agbeti and other politicians of substance to abandon Governor Makinde, it means a lot.

“I use this medium to tell the few ones who are still there to leave now and join us in the APC.”

The development is expected to give the APC a boost in its grassroots mobilisation across Ogbomoso and neighbouring communities ahead of the 2027 elections.

It also comes as political parties intensify their preparations for the governorship contest, with Alli seeking to consolidate the APC’s influence across the state and challenge the political structure of the ruling party.

The defection is particularly significant for the APC’s Oyo South political calculations, as Ogunwuyi and other defectors are expected to bring their political networks and grassroots connections into the opposition party.

Among the APC leaders who attended the rally were former senators Ayoade Adeseun and Brimoh Yusuf; former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Olagunju Ojo; former APC state chairman, Akin Oke; Kemi Alao-Akala; Bashiru Akataapa; Aderemi Adepoju; and Abiodun Adeyemo, popularly known as Obadoba.

Members of the Oyo APC State Executive Committee were also present.
The Director-General of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Council, Asiwaju Yemi Aderibigbe, and his deputy, Sola Ogunbode, attended the event.

Other political figures at the rally included the APC deputy governorship candidate, Adesoji Adedeji; Hannah Ogunesan; Segun Odebunmi; and Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala.

Politics

Oyo APC Raises Alarm Over Alleged Plan to Sell Govt Fish Farm

Published

3 days ago

November 10, 2026

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The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has accused Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration of plotting to sell or cede the 40-year-old Agodi Government Fish Farm in Ibadan to a private estate developer.

The opposition party alleged that the facility was being targeted for conversion into an extension of Baywood Estate, following the recent destruction of part of the Agodi conservation forest.

In a statement issued on Friday and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, described the alleged move as another attempt to dispose of public assets for private interests.

The party said the fish farm, located between the Agodi Gardens and Dandaru Stream in the heart of Ibadan, was an important agricultural and educational facility that should be preserved.

Established about four decades ago, the facility houses offices, laboratories, demonstration farms, fish ponds and training centres used by students, researchers and practising fish farmers.

It also accommodates the Ogunpa Lake, where local and exotic fish species are bred for educational and commercial purposes.The APC alleged that the proposed takeover was part of a wider plan to expand private estate developments around the Agodi Government Secretariat.

“We have uncovered fresh plans by Governor Makinde and his cronies to expand the private housing estate projects around Agodi Government Secretariat, which has birthed Baywood Estate.

“After the destruction of the enviable green zone that protects the environment around the area, the next in line for Governor Makinde is to level up the Government Fish Farm facility with a view to joining the large expanse of land, which it occupies, with the private estate,” the statement said.

The party faulted the administration’s handling of public infrastructure, arguing that the alleged plan would further undermine the state’s agricultural and environmental assets.

It also accused the government of neglecting several public facilities, including the Trans Amusement Park, Agodi Gardens, the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, the Oyo State Library Board and the state Water Corporation.

Expressing concern over the future of other government facilities around Agodi, the APC said residents had reasons to worry about the safety of the Government Secretariat, Government House and Cultural Centre complex.

The party called on Makinde to immediately suspend the alleged plan to cede the fish farm, warning against what it described as the illegal conversion of government-owned properties into private estates.

It also urged elders and concerned residents of the state to prevail on the governor, insisting that those responsible for the alleged sale or takeover of public lands and assets must be held accountable.

Politics

Alli to Makinde: End illegal tax collections in Oyo now

Published

3 days ago

November 10, 2026

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APC candidate alleges harassment of farmers, traders; promises tax law within 100 days if elected

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has challenged Governor Seyi Makinde to end alleged illegal tax collections across the state, insisting that farmers, traders and transporters should not be subjected to multiple levies on the highways.

Alli accused the Makinde administration of failing to demonstrate the political will to domesticate the Tax Harmonisation Law, which he said would check arbitrary revenue collection and protect residents from the activities of unauthorised tax collectors.

The APC candidate raised the concern in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Media and Publicity of his campaign organisation, Bisi Oladele.

He alleged that individuals posing as revenue agents had been mounting roadblocks and extorting money from farmers and traders transporting goods within the state.

According to him, farmers moving produce from Oyo North to Ibadan and business owners conveying goods from the state capital to other parts of the state have been subjected to multiple collections under different pretexts.

Alli said the practice was not only hurting farmers and small-scale business owners but also adding to the cost of transporting goods and, ultimately, the prices paid by consumers.

He argued that the burden of multiple taxation was particularly troubling at a time when residents and businesses were battling rising operating costs.

“The people of Oyo State deserve freedom from multiple taxation and the crude means of collecting road taxes,” he said.

The senator maintained that the Tax Harmonisation Law would provide a framework for streamlining taxes across the state and local government areas, eliminate unauthorised collections and curb the activities of individuals exploiting motorists and traders in the name of revenue generation.

He expressed disappointment that Oyo had yet to complete the domestication process, claiming that several other states had already passed the legislation while others were working towards its enactment.

Alli said the continued delay had left farmers, transporters and business owners exposed to arbitrary levies and harassment.

He called on Makinde to give the proposed legislation the attention it deserved, saying the state needed a tax system that would support economic activities rather than undermine them.

The APC governorship candidate, however, promised that the law would be passed within his first 100 days in office if elected governor.

He said his administration would prioritise a tax regime that protects businesses, encourages investment and promotes economic growth, rather than imposing unnecessary burdens on residents.