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.

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.

• Defection to boost Alli’s governorship ambition

The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State is set to record a major political gain as former Chief of Staff to Governor Seyi Makinde, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi, and former member of the governor’s Advisory Council, Rasak Gbadegesin Agbeti, lead three local government chairmen and 29 other political appointees into the party on Tuesday.

The chairmen of Oriire, Surulere and Ogbomoso South local government areas are expected to formally join the APC at a defection rally scheduled to hold in Ogbomoso.

The development is seen as a significant shift in the political landscape of Ogbomoso and its environs ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the opposition party expected to gain additional strength in the area.

Several prominent APC leaders are expected at the rally to receive the defectors, whose entry could further strengthen the party’s grassroots structure across the Ogbomoso zone.

Ogunwuyi, a former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly and the House of Representatives, served as Chief of Staff to Makinde before leaving the administration.

Agbeti, who also served in the governor’s Advisory Council, is among the notable political figures expected to join the APC.

Their defection, alongside that of the three council chairmen and 29 former political appointees, is expected to provide a fresh boost to the governorship ambition of Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the APC candidate for the 2027 election.

It also comes amid growing political activities and shifting alliances in Oyo State as the major parties intensify efforts to consolidate their support ahead of the next governorship election.

Since Ogunwuyi’s departure from the Makinde administration, there has been a series of defections involving political figures previously associated with the government.

Only on Monday, the former Chief of Staff donated vehicles and campaign materials to support APC mobilisation and campaign activities across the state.

The latest development is expected to further shape political calculations in Ogbomoso and other parts of Oyo State as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.