The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has declared its support for one of its lawmakers, Ibraheem Shittu, who is challenging the approval of a ₦300 billion loan requested by Governor Seyi Makinde.
Shittu, who represents Saki West constituency in the State House of Assembly, alleged that the approval was irregular and lacked the constitutionally required two-thirds majority.
He further claimed he was deliberately excluded from the sitting where the loan was approved, describing the process as “secretive”.
The state APC chairman, Olayide Abas, voiced the party’s support for Shittu during a peaceful protest held in Ibadan on Monday. The demonstration began at the APC state secretariat in Oke-Ado and passed through key parts of the city before concluding at Mokola Roundabout.
“We are here to show our support for him for taking the bold step to stand against the loan. We are behind him. We are telling the governor not to plunge Oyo into perpetual debt,” Abas said.
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He also accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration of mismanaging funds, stating that further borrowing was unnecessary, especially in light of recent increases in federal allocations to the state.
The APC further claimed that Shittu has received threats since raising objections to the loan approval and called for his protection.
In response, the Oyo State chapter of the PDP defended Governor Makinde’s actions. In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Michael Ogunsina, the party maintained that the loan approval was lawful and necessary for the state’s development.
“There is nothing wrong in what the governor did. Oyo is on the path to prosperity,” Ogunsina said, describing the APC’s protest as a display of political immaturity.
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Meanwhile, the State House of Assembly has dismissed Shittu’s claims. In a joint statement by Majority Leader Sanjo Adedoyin and Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Waheed Akintayo, the lawmakers described Shittu as an “absentee lawmaker”, suggesting he failed to attend key sessions and was now seeking to discredit the process.
The dispute has heightened political tensions in the state, with the opposition accusing the ruling party of fiscal irresponsibility, while the government maintains that its borrowing is aligned with its development agenda.
