Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has berated the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after it accused him of making unguarded comments during the swearing-in of newly-elected local government chairmen in Osun State on Sunday.
Makinde was in Osogbo to witness the ceremony, conducted by his Osun State counterpart, Ademola Adeleke, where he urged the APC to seek legal redress rather than resorting to self-help in resolving the Osun local government crisis.
Referring to the historical ‘Wild Wild West’ crisis, Makinde emphasised the need to learn from history and avoid actions that could plunge Osun into turmoil.
But in response, the Oyo APC, through its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, issued a statement on Monday, condemning Makinde for participating in what it described as a “show of shame” organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The APC warned Makinde against making statements or taking actions that could incite the people of Osun State amid the ongoing dispute over the control of the 30 local government councils.
However, Makinde, through his spokesperson, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, dismissed the APC’s criticism, saying, “The mumbo jumbo, which Oyo APC chooses to refer to as a press statement, is unworthy of a response. So, we will just ignore the statement and the writers.”
The APC had also accused Makinde of embarrassing Oyo State by aligning with “anti-democratic forces” to undermine constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
The party stated, “Makinde’s appearance was that of a meddlesome interloper, while his unguarded comments were deliberately made to further call out President Bola Tinubu for supporting the cause to free the third tier of government from the grip of state governors who feed fat on resources meant for the local government councils.”
Continuing its attack, the APC said, “As much as we tried not to dabble into the domestic affairs of our sister state, the presence of Gov. Makinde and his outburst at the so-called swearing-in ceremony of some lackeys assembled as tools with which the PDP plans to set Osun on fire for self-aggrandisement and lack of basic understanding of the principles of constitutional democracy on the part of Gov. Adeleke is regrettable.”
Expressing disapproval of Adeleke’s leadership, the APC remarked, “We always sympathize with the cosmopolitan people of Osun State each time we remember that a character like Mr. Ademola Adeleke is their governor, but we cannot help it, even as we look forward to 2026 when he would be sent packing from office to pave the way for a competent hand.”
The party further criticised Adeleke’s handling of the legal dispute surrounding the local government election, stating, “Nonetheless, we did not expect the kind of spirited efforts being made by the same Gov. Adeleke and his few supporters to trample upon a verdict of a competent court of law. The dancing governor and his co-travelers have just created a sad chapter in Nigeria’s democratic history as they attempted to negate the ruling of an Appellate Court with a manufactured one from a State High Court.” – Punch.
