The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Ibadan, the state capital, over alleged intimidation of its members in the House of Assembly and the recent approval of a N300 billion loan request by the state government.
The protesters, in their hundreds, converged on the APC State Secretariat, Oke-Ado, before marching through Dugbe, Queen Cinema, Adamasingba and finally terminating at Mokola Roundabout. They carried placards with inscriptions such as “Stop mortgaging Oyo’s future,” “No to secret loan approvals,” and “Makinde, account for previous loans.”
Addressing party faithful, APC State Chairman, Olayide Abas, warned Governor Seyi Makinde and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against plunging the state into perpetual debt. He described the rising debt profile of the state as “worrisome and dangerous to the future of Oyo people.”
Abas alleged that Ibraheem Shittu, the APC lawmaker representing Saki West State Constituency, had been receiving threats since he raised objections to the loan approval. He said the protest was to show solidarity with Shittu and to caution the government.
“We are here to show our support for him for taking a bold step to stand against the loan. We are behind him. The governor must not turn Oyo into a perpetual loan collector. What has been done with previous borrowings? The assessment of another N300 billion loan is an attempt to plunge the state into deeper financial crisis.
“The state has been receiving increased allocation from the Federation Account since the advent of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. There is no justification for another huge loan at this time,” he said.
Shittu had last week faulted the loan approval, claiming the matter was not tabled before him. He insisted the decision was taken in secrecy, contrary to legislative procedures. But the House of Assembly, in a statement jointly signed by the Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin, and the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Waheed Akintayo, dismissed Shittu as an absentee lawmaker.
The APC leadership accused the Assembly of bias and alleged that the PDP government was stifling opposition voices in the state. “The attacks on Hon. Shittu for merely performing his legislative duty are signs of intolerance and intimidation. Oyo cannot afford to silence dissent in a democracy,” Abas added.
Reacting, the PDP in the state dismissed the protest as a waste of time. Its Publicity Secretary, Michael Ogunsina, defended Makinde, insisting there was nothing wrong in the procurement of the loan. He said the governor was working to place the state on a sound economic footing.
Ogunsina said: “The truth is that the state is on a positive pedestal. We are on the path to prosperity. If APC and its leaders do not like what Governor Makinde is doing, they have no choice — they can relocate to Ogun State.”
Observers say the protest may signal the APC’s renewed attempt to reposition itself as a formidable opposition force in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections. Party leaders believe that issues of transparency, rising debt burden and fiscal mismanagement could become strong campaign points against the PDP administration.
Analysts also link the protest to the wider national narrative, where APC-controlled states have been urged to align with President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms. They argue that Oyo, despite being under PDP, is benefiting from increased federal allocations, making fresh heavy borrowing questionable in the eyes of opposition leaders.
