‘Stolen Mandate’: Ibadan North APC 2024 Chairmanship, Councillorship Candidates Thank Party Leaders, Appreciate Alli, Akinremi, Other Chieftains for Support • Flagbearers Fire Makinde over Maladministration, Substandard Projects

As today marks exactly a year since the mandates of all Chairmanship and Councillorship Candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across Oyo State were allegedly stolen by the Seyi Makinde-led government, the APC Chairmanship Candidate, Hon. Dayo Adeniyi, and Councillorship Candidates in Ibadan North Local Government Area have expressed gratitude to Almighty God for sparing their lives till date after what they described as a show of electoral shame by the PDP-led administration, which the stalwarts maintained led to disenfranchisement of electorates in the state.

In a statement made available to the pressmen by the spokesperson of the forum, Hon. Afeez Bello Mabinuori, APC councillorship candidate of the ward 2 of the local government, the standard bearers stated,”We show gratitude to our great party, the Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Oluye Sharafadeen Alli, Former House of Representatives Member, Late Prince Musiliu Olaide Akinremi Jagaban, and other Apex leaders of the party for their support in one way or another, such as moral, political, financial and other forms of support.

The politicians also appreciated the Director General and Deputy Director General of the Campaign Council, Alhaja Tairah Adeyemi and Hon. Wale Murphy, and other members of the Campaign Council, as well as all the members of the party executive across all the wards under Alhaji Taofeek Olayiwola and other notable members of the party and non-political actors who contributed to their success before, during and after the electioneering campaign.

The politicians stated that the people of Oyo State are tired of the Seyi Makinde-led administration. “The government is full of deceit and high-handedness. They are only specialists in populism and embarking on substandard projects across the state.

“As a democratic dictator, the governor handpicked chairmen and councillors. No surprise why they are clueless and directionless since they have assumed office. To people at the grassroots level, they ought to be facilitating developments to their respective localities, but the reverse is the case.

The chairmen are figureheads. They are just in the office receiving peanuts from the governor out of the federal allocation meant for all local governments in Oyo State. The imposed councillors also have no contribution to the development of their respective wards, and they have failed in the primary function, especially law-making in the local government.

The flag bearers fumed, Governor Makinde has been wasting the resources of the state on substandard projects such as the remodelling of Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba. Indeed, this has shown the level of corruption state government is orchestrating. The pitch is muddy; the grass on the pitch, which should be green in colour, is brown; the track around the pitch is like a bald head; it is damaged; and there is no evidence of maintenance on the pitch.

The party candidates lamented,”The Makinde-led government is not giving priority to the social welfare of the people; portable tap water, which was running for 8 years under former Governor Ajimobi, has gone into moribund less than six months into his administration. The pity of it is that Engr. Makinde is prioritising borehole construction across the states because they overtax contracts and make big money. Now Asejire, Eleyele and other water dams across the state have been rendered useless by the state government.

“Most of the roads being re-tarred by the government are substandard. For instance, Queen Elizabeth Road at Mokola was re-tarred without tarring the walkway and leaving the drainages untouched. These roads will not last. The bad drainage will give a loophole for erosion to damage the roads.

The standard bearers dare Makinde.’ Let us say this before we round up: Governor Makinde and the PDP should get prepared to vacate the seat in 2027. The pro-people and progressive party, APC, will take over the state and reposition the pacesetter state to the standard level of progress and prosperity it deserves.