Politics
Oyo voters won’t fall for your cheap lies, Makinde’s aide slams Folarin
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, on Tuesday, flayed Senator Teslim Folarin, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, for claiming that none of the opposition party’s gubernatorial aspirants is as worse as Makinde.
Responding to Folarin’s attack on Governor Makinde, Adisa, in a statement, said that the Senator “dished out lies about Makinde” while declaring his governorship ambition at the APC Secretariat in Ibadan.
The governor’s aide, who wondered why Folarin turned an event designed for him to declare his 2023 governorship ambition into a fiesta of lies, said the Oyo State electorate would not fall for the lies of APC chieftains, including Folarin, against Governor Makinde.
The governor’s aide declared that it was laughable that despite the massive infrastructure development, improvement in the education and health sectors and other efforts of the Makinde government in the last three years, Folarin could still say he was coming to rescue Oyo State “because every tangible project in the state was done by the previous government.”
According to Adisa, rather than Folarin articulating details of his agenda in comparison to Makinde’s globally acclaimed Roadmap to Accelerated Development of Oyo State, 2019-2023, he only marshaled a couple of lies, which insulted the sensibilities of Oyo State residents across the five zones of the state, who have continued to laud Governor Makinde for good governance in the state.
Adisa, however, commended Folarin for telling residents of Oyo State what they already suspect; that governorship aspirants in APC were bad products, as according to him [Adisa], there is no basis to compare Makinde with any of them.
Adisa said: “We have read with amusement words credited to an Oyo APC governorship aspirant, Senator Teslim Folarin, that he is coming to rescue Oyo State and that none of the aspirants in the ill-fated APC, Oyo State chapter is as bad as Governor Makinde.
“Indeed, we must commend Folarin for letting the Oyo State public know that governorship aspirants in APC are bad products. However, there is no basis to compare any of the APC governorship aspirants with Governor Makinde.
“Nobody can compare light with darkness. In three years, Makinde has done what the APC government failed to do in eight years; building over 500 kilometres of road, putting in place a free and qualitative education system, improving the health and security sector and all that.
“Senator Folarin was also credited to have said that all tangible projects in the state were done by the previous government. This is an outright lie and we are sure that the people of Oyo State do not need such a lie. The people will not fall for cheap lies and deceit.
“It is easy to ask whether it was the previous APC government that built the 65 km Moniya-Iseyin road, the 45km Saki-Ogbooro-Igboho Road, the 12km Awotan- Akufo concrete road, the 38km Oyo-Iseyin road and the 76 km Ogbomoso-Iseyin road, which are at various stages of completion as we speak.
“The people will also ask whether it was the failed APC administration of 2011 to 2019 that built the magnificent Bus Terminals at Ojoo and Challenge as well the Terminals at Iwo Road and Old Ife Road, which are nearing completion.
“It can be seen that Folarin has not been in touch with the reality in Oyo State, he thus needs to connect with Oyo State people and his followers, who could tell him the state of things regarding infrastructure development under the Makinde government.
“He needs to at least be conversant with his local government, Ona-Ara, where massive developments are ongoing. He needs to be told that in his Ona-Ara Local Govt of origin, the Makinde government is building the 37-kilometre Akanran-Olorunsogo-Dagbolu and 21 Ajia-Airport Road with spur to Amuloko and the two will be commissioned shortly.
“In order to end his apparent lack of information or is it denial of reality, we will volunteer to take the senator on a tour of tangible projects across the state, from Moniya-Iseyin Road, to Asipa-Sabo-Gedu-Oroki Road to the Saki Township Road, and also visit ongoing road projects in Oyo-Iseyin and the 76-kilometre Iseyin-Ogbomoso roads and end the trip in Ona-Ara.”
Adisa warned Folarin to stop his unnecessary obsession with attacking Makinde, urging him to focus on how to convince his partymen in the APC to accept him as candidate despite his undemocratic credentials.
“We urge Folarin to focus his energy on convincing those he met in APC, when he defected from PDP which he ruined with his undemocratic tendencies, rather than inciting the people and engaging in baseless conspiracies against a government that is delivering good governance,” the statement added.
A former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, has been sworn in as the Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging members of the party to rally support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo formally assumed office on Friday following the inauguration of the newly elected State Executive Committee members who will manage the affairs of the party in the state for the next four years.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the party’s State Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, marked the climax of the party’s 2026 congresses in the state.
The South-West Zonal Legal Adviser of the APC, Kolawole Majaro, administered the oath of office on Adeyemo and 35 other members of the State Executive Committee.
The executives had emerged through a consensus arrangement during the March 3, 2026 state congress held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, under the supervision of a committee led by Amos Gombi from the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
In his acceptance speech, Adeyemo described his emergence as a renewed call to service, pledging to strengthen the party and sustain unity among members.
He appreciated party leaders within and outside the state for ensuring a smooth and successful congress process.
Adeyemo also commended members of the Local Organising Committee, particularly Fatai Ibikunle and Afeez Bolaji Repete, for their contributions to the success of the exercise.
He said, “This new State Executive Committee under my leadership is being put in place to add value and strengthen our great party in view of the challenges ahead.
“We have used the opportunity of the congresses to showcase our collective commitment to unity and harmony as progressives and democrats.”
The new chairman expressed optimism that the atmosphere of peace within the party would be sustained ahead of future party primaries and the 2027 elections.
According to him, the party’s target is to secure 90 per cent of the votes in Oyo State for President Tinubu while also reclaiming the state’s Government House in 2027.
Adeyemo praised the President’s leadership, saying the administration was delivering on its promises.
“President Tinubu is, no doubt, performing beyond our expectations and the best way to appreciate his good work is to retain him in Aso Rock until 2031,” he said.
“Against all odds, the President is pursuing his Renewed Hope Agenda with vigour and passion, while the positive results are being felt across sectors of the economy and national life.”
Other members of the newly inaugurated executive include Taofeek Lamidi as Deputy Chairman, Fatai Adesina as State Secretary, Adekemi Opatunde as Woman Leader, Olawale Sadare as Publicity Secretary, Olalekan Oladejo as Youth Leader, and Remi Adepoju as Organising Secretary.
Also inaugurated were Ajiboye Akinsanya as Treasurer, Sunday Aborisade as Legal Adviser, Tinuade Adigun as Auditor, Lukman Owonikoko as Assistant State Secretary, Fatimah Hassan as Deputy Woman Leader, and Jimoh Osundara as the Leader of Persons Living With Disabilities, among others.
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he had joined the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja, attributing his decision to what he described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP.
The lawmaker said the emergence of the NDC would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by providing a credible opposition platform.
According to him, the party recently received its certificate of registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, “Last week INEC issued a certificate of registration and we now have the newest party in Nigeria known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress and our symbol is victory, the victory sign.
“So, my dear Nigerians, you now have a credible alternative opposition party known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”
Dickson noted that although the party’s registration took longer than expected, its eventual approval was a welcome development for the country’s democratic landscape.
“Yes, it is coming at this time. We would have wished it started some years or months back. We don’t control INEC and their processes; they delayed. We don’t also control the judiciary, but thank God it has finally arrived,” he said.
The senator also stressed that Nigeria’s democracy must not slide into a one-party system, insisting that political diversity remained vital for national stability.
“This nation cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state.
“We are a very diverse nation culturally, religiously and politically and that is the beauty of our country.
“So anyone or any party promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is mistaken. We build political parties and get involved in movements to access power for the good of the people, not for our personal benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced the registration of two new political parties.
The parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The announcement was made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026.
According to him, the Democratic Leadership Alliance completed the required verification process, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has congratulated the newly elected State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State.
The party, at its state congress held on Tuesday at Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, elected a former Deputy Governor of the state, Moses Alake Adeyemo, as its new chairman alongside other state executive members.
Oseni, in a statement on Wednesday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, described Adeyemo’s emergence as well-deserved, noting that his experience and longstanding commitment to the party would further strengthen its structure in the state.
He said the peaceful conduct of the congress demonstrated the party’s commitment to internal democracy and progressive leadership.
The statement said, “I congratulate our newly elected State Chairman and leader, His Excellency, Moses Alake Adeyemo, and other members of the State Executive Committee on their emergence. This victory reflects the confidence reposed in them by party members across the state.”
Oseni further expressed confidence that the new leadership would reposition the party for greater cohesion and electoral success.
According to him, “This is a critical moment for our party in Oyo State. It calls for unity, reconciliation, and renewed commitment to the ideals that bind us together as progressives.”
The federal lawmaker assured the new executives of his support and cooperation in advancing the programmes of the party and strengthening its grassroots structures.
He urged party members to rally behind the new leadership to ensure stability and secure future victories for the APC in the state.
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