Politics
Makinde’s Reconciliation Committee not a mere talk shop – Oyo PDP replies Salahudeen
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state said its attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Hon. Tunde Salahudeen, who on Tuesday, criticised the setting up of Elders’ Steering Committee of the party by Governor Seyi Makinde.
Salahudeen, in an opinion article he authored and circulated in cyberspace, claimed that the reconciliation committee headed by Dr. Saka Balogun would end up like another Oputa Panel, a mere talk shop.
The PDP described Salahudeen’s opinion as an obvious misread of the situation in the party and a complete misrepresentation of the true position of Governor Makinde .
The party in a statement signed by its publicist, Engr. Akeem Olatunji, submitted, “To start with, the statement by Salahudeen contained a lot of half-truths, which deserve to be placed in the right perspective.
“First, he claimed that the most aggrieved member of the PDP is the State Chairman, Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha. He also claimed that there is a “nauseating Omituntun syndrome” in the party; that the chairman, Advisory Council had usurped the office of the State Chairman and that members of the party are suffering in silence.
“These are fallacies being orchestrated by persons who choose to orchestrate half-truths and unfounded postulations.
“While it is understandable that in a big house, there must be voices rising from different corners even at odd hours, we implore persons like Salahudeen to ask questions and get to the roots of issues rather than grandstand on social media or pretend to know, when they are obviously progressing in error.
“Let it be placed on record that the setting up of the Elders’ Steering Committee of Oyo PDP was a commendable decision which is aimed at consistently building consensus and ensuring the Elders continue to take their rightful place.
“The choice of Dr. Saka Balogun is not only apt, but well deserved because he is a well-regarded elder who says his mind without mincing words.
“Besides, the Chairmanship of the Elders’ Committee cannot at the same time be given to the state Chairman because as the head of the State Working Committee, the Chairman cannot be the judge in a matter that would eventually end on his table.
“It is only good that the Chairman is a member of the Elders’ Committee so that he can provide necessary insights where necessary.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, the Chairman of the PDP in Oyo State is not only at home with the policies of Governor Makinde, he does not bear any grudge against the administration in any way. Indeed, the Chairman was physically present at the inauguration of that Committee.
“One also wonders what is the justification for the claim of the “nauseating Omituntun syndrome” within Oyo PDP. It is clear that what Salahudeen meant was that the Omituntun structure has dominated other stakeholders in the party and this is not even true.
“Where does Salahudeen get evidence to back that up? While the executive council of Oyo State had 17 members at its inauguration in August 2019, only one of them, Hon. Kehinde Ayoola, the late Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, was of the Omituntun ensemble. The rest are either members of the coalition or members of the PDP. So where is the usurpation of positions by the Omituntun?
“It is also instructive to note another fallacy raised by Salahudeen in the write-up. He claimed that the governor unilaterally decides whoever he gives positions. Salahudeen does not qualify to make this statement, as he is neither an elder nor is in any position to know who and who was consulted by the governor before decisions on appointments and other policies are made.
“The governor has an Advisory Council, a huge network of elders and trusted leaders of the party whom he consults on a daily basis. He also has Liaison Officers in the 14 Federal Constituencies, who are led by respected elder, Chief Jacob Adetoro, who incidentally is also a member of the Steering Committee.
“Salahudeen’s fears that the Committee, which has not even begun work, would end up like the Oputa Panel, one must say, are baseless. This is a governor, who has shown his penchant for consultation and collective effort at all times. He is renowned for keeping faith with his promises and has made a commitment to ensure that all legitimate concerns within the Party are addressed.
“If Salahudeen is truly a member of the PDP and he has not been used by some vested interests to destroy the PDP, he should know the channel through which he can ventilate his views.”, the statement concluded.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the Governor of Ekiti State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji, winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, announced the result at about 3:13 a.m. on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, saying Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rivals and secure a second term in office.
According to Oladiji, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Oluwole Oluyede, garnered 40,543 votes, while the African Democratic Congress candidate, Dare Bejide, secured 12,872 votes.
She said 384,940 voters were accredited for the election, while 375,777 valid votes were recorded. The electoral umpire also announced that 6,332 votes were rejected, bringing the total number of votes cast to 382,109.
The declaration capped a governorship poll largely adjudged peaceful by observers and security agencies, despite complaints of malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines, delayed commencement of voting in some polling units and allegations of voter intimidation by opposition parties.
INEC said voting was conducted in all the 2,445 polling units across the state’s 16 local government areas, noting that 2,257 units, representing 92.31 per cent, opened before 8.30 a.m., while 188 polling units commenced accreditation and voting before 10.30 a.m. after experiencing minor delays.
The commission also commenced uploading polling unit results to its Results Viewing Portal shortly after the completion of voting and counting in several centres.
The PDP candidate, Oluyede, had expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the exercise at Ugele/Arokun Ward in Ikere Local Government Area, alleging that many prospective voters were disenfranchised due to BVAS-related challenges.
Speaking with journalists after voting at Polling Unit 006, he further alleged cases of harassment and intimidation of voters in the area.
Some elderly voters at the polling unit also lamented difficulties encountered during accreditation and urged INEC to urgently rectify the technical glitches.
The ADC candidate, Bejide, similarly alleged irregularities during the exercise.
However, Oyebanji dismissed the claims, insisting that those making allegations of electoral misconduct should provide credible evidence to support them.
The governor, who voted at Polling Unit 003, Okelele, Ikogosi-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area, described the election as satisfactory and urged eligible voters yet to cast their ballots to do so peacefully.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of election security, Abayomi Shogunle, said no case of vote-buying was reported to security agencies throughout the exercise.
Election observers commended the peaceful atmosphere that characterised the poll but raised concerns over procedural inconsistencies.
The First Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Sebastian Anyia, described the process as orderly and peaceful, saying voter turnout was encouraging.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Brenda Anugwom, lauded the resilience of female voters, many of whom remained at polling units for several hours with their children to exercise their franchise.
Yiaga Africa, however, expressed concern over discrepancies involving ballot papers, result sheets and INEC’s published list of candidates, warning that such inconsistencies could create challenges during collation and reconciliation of results.
The election observer group urged INEC to provide further clarification on the final list of participating parties and candidates and issue clear guidance to electoral officials handling result documentation.
Ahead of the poll, INEC and security agencies had repeatedly assured residents of their preparedness to deliver a peaceful, credible and transparent election, deploying personnel and restricting vehicular movement to forestall electoral violence and other offences.
The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has rejected plans by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde to conduct another local government election on December 26, 2026, describing the proposed exercise as illegal, premature and a calculated move to retain political influence at the grassroots beyond the governor’s tenure.
The party declared that it would neither participate in the election nor remain silent over what it termed an attempt to squander public resources on a process allegedly designed to install loyalists in the 33 local government councils and 351 wards across the state.
The controversy followed the decision of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) to shift the date earlier fixed for January 2027 to December 26, 2026, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The move has continued to generate debate among political observers, many of whom have questioned the urgency of conducting another council poll barely six months before the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent chairmen and councillors elected in the 2024 local government elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the APC said it would not stop at boycotting the election but would also collaborate with “patriots and rational minds” to resist what it called an unnecessary expenditure of taxpayers’ money.
The party accused Governor Makinde of lacking commitment to local government autonomy, alleging that the administration had exercised undue control over council resources for more than seven years.
“The whole world knows that Governor Makinde does not believe in local government autonomy and, when it comes to democracy at the grassroots, he cannot be trusted for anything,” the statement said.
The APC alleged that the proposed poll was aimed at positioning individuals loyal to the governor in local councils before his exit from office on May 29, 2027, arguing that such a move would enable him to sustain political influence after leaving the Agodi Government House.
According to the opposition party, expectations among many residents are centred on ongoing efforts by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthen local government autonomy and ensure that councils enjoy direct access to their statutory allocations without interference from state governments.
The APC also linked what it described as poor development outcomes in some rural communities to the operation of the state-local government joint account system. It cited communities such as Ahoro Esiele and Yawota in Oriire Local Government Area, which have reportedly faced security challenges, as examples of areas where local government resources should have translated into visible improvements.
“It is sad that Governor Makinde appears determined to sustain a system that has left many rural communities vulnerable despite huge allocations accruing to local governments monthly,” the party said.
The opposition further dismissed the local government elections conducted in 2020 and 2024 as lacking credibility, alleging that winners emerged through predetermined outcomes rather than a transparent electoral process.
“The fraud called local government polls in 2020 and 2024 should be the last the people of Oyo State would witness. Governor Makinde and his supporters should bury any thought of staging another charade in which results are announced without genuine voting and public offices become tools for the diversion of public funds,” the statement added.
The APC consequently urged officials of OYSIEC to halt preparations for the proposed December election, warning against actions capable of undermining democratic values and public confidence in the electoral process.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Oyo State Government nor OYSIEC had issued an official response to the allegations raised by the opposition party.
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Aderemi Oseni, on Saturday mobilised thousands of artisans and traders across Oyo State in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Oseni said the support base of the Remi Oseni Committee of Friends (ROCOF), in collaboration with other stakeholders, was intensifying efforts to deliver one million votes for the President in the state.
Oseni, Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said artisans and traders must see themselves as critical stakeholders in President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the success of the administration depends largely on grassroots participation.
The federal lawmaker spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during a stakeholders’ engagement with members of the ROCOF Progressive Workers and Traders’ Associations.
In a symbolic show of political readiness, scores of traders and artisans displayed their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), while Oseni urged eligible Nigerians yet to register to obtain their voter cards ahead of the next general election.
He cautioned against vote-buying and vote-selling, warning that such practices threaten the future of democracy and mortgage the destiny of younger generations.
The meeting, according to Oseni, was also convened to deepen economic support for members through empowerment programmes targeted at strengthening businesses and improving livelihoods.
He announced that requests for a N250 million interest-free loan scheme for artisans and traders, construction of an artisans’ village with stable electricity supply, and health insurance support had received approval.
According to him, the loan facility will be administered through a microfinance bank under the Remi Oseni Foundation to ensure transparency, accessibility and sustainability.
He added that road and infrastructure projects across communities would remain a major priority.
Oseni, who is seeking to represent Oyo South Senatorial District in the next election cycle, also used the meeting to explain his decision to pursue a Senate seat instead of his earlier governorship ambition.
He said the move followed consultations with party leaders and supporters.
According to him, supporters deserved clarity on the political direction of the movement.
He said: “We convened this stakeholders’ meeting to review our present position. Before now, our focus was on leading Oyo State through the governorship. That was our clear objective as a movement, but today, it has become evident that God is directing us towards the Senate.
“Our people needed to understand the reasons for this decision, the position of the party and what we have accepted in the overall interest of our political future. It is not enough for leaders to take decisions. We owe our supporters explanations and must carry them along.
“We have encouraged them to embrace this opportunity in good faith and believe that greater opportunities still lie ahead.
“Many of them felt our governorship ambition would have delivered greater benefits, but we have reassured them that the government remains supportive and the future is bright.
“We have equally assured the President that our decision to pursue the Oyo South Senate seat will not affect the one million votes earlier promised him, because ROCOF structures across the 33 local government areas are fully mobilised and committed to his re-election.”
On the crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oseni said efforts were ongoing to reconcile aggrieved members, expressing confidence that outstanding differences would soon be resolved.
He described competing interests within the party as a reflection of the APC’s growing strength and political attractiveness.
Earlier, the Oyo State Coordinator of ROCOF Progressive Workers and Traders’ Associations, Alhaji Munirudeen Adegoke, described Oseni’s empowerment drive as a strategic investment capable of reducing unemployment, youth restiveness and poverty.
Adegoke said meaningful empowerment for artisans and traders must go beyond temporary palliatives.
According to him, sustainable support requires deliberate policies that guarantee access to capital, improved infrastructure and social protection.
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