Politics
Oyo: Council boss allegedly attack PDP chieftain in Ogbomoso
A CHIEFTAIN of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state, Mr. Oladosu Akanbi has claimed that the Caretaker Chairman of Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area, Hon. Seun Ojo assaulted him at his Ilu Iwata residence, Ogo Oluwa West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Ogbomoso.
The financial secretary of the party in the council, Oladosu , who also claimed that he was beaten to a pulp, while his wife and son were inflicted with various degree of injuries on the 29th December, 2020, informed that Hon. Ojo has been arrested by the police.
According to him, Hon. Ojo was arrested by the police at Zone 11, Osogbo, Osun State on the 3rd of January, 2021 following the failure of the Police at Opete police station in Ogo Oluwa West LCDA where the incident had initially been reported to take proactive steps to arrest him and his accomplices for the crime they committed.
Narrating his ordeal to our reporter, the complainant alleged that on that fateful day, the Council Chief, Ojo invaded his house at about 8:24pm with no fewer than eight thugs displaying dangerous weapons like gun, axe and cutlass
He said that on their arrival, the council gaffer, Ojo flashed a touch in his eyes and asked him whether he recognized him or not but before he could utter a word, they had descended on him, dragged him on the floor and beaten him mercilessly with his wife and 30-year-old son, Amos Akanbi who was with him at the time of the incident.
The PDP chieftain further explained that when they were satisfied with beaten him, they took him inside the official vehicle that they brought and drove him to an unknown destination for some minutes before they brought him back to his house that same night.
He added that when they got to his house, Hon. Ojo asked him where he kept bags of rice in his possession and he told him that they were inside his rooms, stressing that he thereafter ordered his ‘boys’ to pack them inside their vehicle and took them away.
He explained that out of the five bags that they carted away, two bags were from Governor Seyi Makinde for party members in his ward, another two from Caretaker Chairman of Ogo Oluwa West LCDA, Hon. Onaolapo Ajala for party members as well while the remaining one bag was giving to be shared by four leaders in each ward among themselves with a Turkey and one gallon of vegetable oil.
“Seun Ojo packed all the rice and while he was leaving, he told me that he had come to show me the power of government and if I dare reporting him to the police, he will still come back and use the full power of government to deal with me again.
“Immediately they left, we went to Opete police station to lodge complaint but the police having seen my condition, suggested that I go to General hospital for treatment first before they could take my statement. However, I could not be admitted that night because the hospital officials complaint that there was no bed where I could be admitted for treatment and asked me to come back the following morning.
“The following morning, I was treated and went back to the Opete police station to write my statement alongside my wife and son. The police invited him for interrogation but he declined to honour their invitation. When I observed that no step was being taken to effect his arrest following his refusal to honour the invitation till 31st December, 2020, I sought the transfer of my case to zone 11, Osogbo”, he narrated further.
Oladosu continued, “He showed up at Zone 11, Osogbo on the 3rd of January, 2021 and the police took him to my house to inspect and took pictures of all items that were vandalized by him during the attack on my house”.
While asked what could have led to the invasion of his house by the council boss, the PDP chieftain explained that he could not fathom the reason for the attack on him because he has never had any misunderstanding or quarrel with the chairman before since they were not in the same council area.
“Seun Ojo is in the main local government, Ogo Oluwa local government while I am in the Ogo Oluwa West local council development area, Odo Oba where Hon. Ajala Onaolapo is the Chairman. So I don’t have any reason to be at loggerhead with him whatsoever”, he submitted.
Seun Ojo, Council boss, Ogo Oluwa LG
But, when contacted through his cell phone, the Caretaker Chairman of Ogo Oluwa Local Government, Hon. Seun Ojo denied the allegation, describing it as unfounded, as there was nothing like that.
Speaking with Mega Icon Magazine on Saturday, the council boss stressed that it was a mischievous attempt targeted at destroying his name and that of the state governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde.
He also alleged that Oladosu was sponsored by the opposition APC in the state to carry out the hatchet job.
He said, “There is no matter between me and Mr. Oladosu .
“I don’t have a quarrel with anybody. As the Chief Security officer of my local government, I don’t have a quarrel with him. He’s one of the PDP members and presently romancing with the opposition. I have known him for over 20 years ago, I was once a councilor in that local government, I know all the impacts, what that man caused between me and my chairman then.
“They are planning to leave the party, but before he leaves, he wanted to destroy the party. For somebody to be saying the governor was distributing poisoned rice and palliatives, he has a motive. He was collecting money from me for the Christmas and the new year. When I gave him the money , he said the money was not enough and I gave him another cheque .
“The APC are using them. The opposition gave him N300,000 and that after he successfully destroy the governor’s name, they promised to give him a balance of N200,000.
“The man is just trying to spoil the governor’s name and my name”, the council boss alleged.
When asked if he was arrested by the police, Ojo questioned, “How will a chairman of a local government be arrested on a fake information?”.
Market men and women across Oyo South Senatorial District have declared support for the senatorial ambition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the district, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, and reaffirmed their backing for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The traders said their endorsement was driven by the lawmaker’s sustained grassroots interventions and what they described as his people-centred representation.
The endorsement came on Monday during an interactive engagement in Ibadan with market stakeholders drawn from the nine local government areas of the senatorial district.
At the event, Oseni supported market men and women across the district with N90 million, with each of the nine local government areas receiving N10 million to boost petty trading, expand businesses and stimulate grassroots economic activity.
In a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, the lawmaker said the intervention was part of efforts to improve livelihoods and deepen economic inclusion, particularly among small-scale traders.
Oseni, who represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said empowering market operators remained central to his development agenda.
He said markets remained the heartbeat of local communities, noting that traders’ resilience continues to sustain families and drive local economies.
“This intervention is aimed at strengthening their businesses, easing economic pressure and encouraging enterprise at the grassroots,” he said.
The APC chieftain added that his representation would continue to focus on practical interventions with visible impact.
“Leadership must translate into visible impact. I remain committed to initiatives that support small businesses, create opportunities for growth and complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Oseni also canvassed support for President Tinubu among traders in Oyo South, saying stronger alignment between federal, state, senatorial and local government leadership would accelerate development in the state.
He listed the Tinubu administration’s initiatives to include the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND, measures to curb industrial actions in tertiary institutions, tuition-free technical colleges, construction and rehabilitation of major highways, agricultural support programmes and subsidies for cancer treatment, fuel subsidy removal, which he noted has boosted state and local government revenues.
He urged traders to mobilise support for APC candidates in the next general elections, expressing confidence that Tinubu’s re-election would further improve residents’ welfare.
Speaking on behalf of the traders, the Coordinator of Market Men and Women in Oyo South Senatorial District and Babaloja of Omi-Adio and Ido Local Government, Chief Odedele Waheed, commended the turnout and described the engagement as a demonstration of confidence in Oseni’s leadership.
He lauded the lawmaker for sustained grassroots development efforts, noting that the N90 million support would strengthen businesses across the district.
Odedele also commended the leadership of market men and women in Oyo State for granting traders approval to meet and interact with the lawmaker, saying the platform allowed them to express concerns and understand his vision for Oyo South.
The traders pledged to mobilise support across markets in the district in favour of Oseni’s electoral bid and President Tinubu’s re-election.
Those present included the Babaloja of Ibadan North East, Ibrahim Balogun; Babaloja of Ibadan South West, Rafiu Iyo; Babaloja of Ibadan North West, Alhaji Tajudeen Hammed; Alhaji Abdulraman Salawudeen; Asiwaju Oloja of Ibarapa Zone, Chief Okanlawon John Adebisi; Babaloja of Ibadan North, Chief Adewole Basirat; and Iyaloja of Ibarapa Central, Chief Ige Fausat, among others.
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.
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