The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, on Monday, staged a peaceful protest in Ibadan, the state capital, over alleged intimidation of its members by the state House of Assembly and the N300bn loan request by the state government.
The party also slammed the Peoples Democratic Party-led administration in the state for how its managing resources.
Recall that a member of the state House of Assembly, Ibraheem Shittu representing Saki West State Constituency under APC had faulted the approval of a N300 billion loan.
However, a statement by the House of Assembly described Shittu, as an absentee lawmaker.
The statement was jointly signed by the Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin, and the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Media, Public Affairs and ICT, Waheed Akintayo.
The APC lawmaker, Shittu further claimed that he was not informed about the meeting, insisting that the approval was done secretly.
The protest, which began at the APC state Secretariat, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, en route Dugbe-Queen-Cinema-Adamasingba terminated at Mokola roundabout.
Addressing protesters, the state party Chairman, Olayide Abas, warned the PDP administration against mortgaging the lives of the people of the state with a rising debt profile.
The APC chairman noted that the lawmaker has been receiving threat messages as a result of the alarm he raised.
He said, “We are here to show our support to him (lawmaker) for taking bold step to stand against the loan. We are behind him. We are here to tell the governor that he should not send the state to a perpetual loan collector.
“We are not satisfied with what is happening. We are not satisfied with the misappropriation of funds by the Peoples Democratic Party led administration in the state. What has the governor done with the previous loans?
“The assessment of a N300 billion loan is an attempt to further plung the state into financial crises.
“The state has been enjoying increase in the monthly allocation from the Federation Account since the advent of President Bola Tinubu led administration in the country,” he stated.
The protest, which began at the APC state Secretariat, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, enroute Dugbe-Queen-Cinema-Adamasingba terminated at Mokola round about.
Reacting to the protest, the state Public Relations Officer of the PDP, Michael Ogunsina defended the governor, saying there was nothing wrong in what the governor did in procurement of a loan.
He lamented that the APC in the state always used every privilege to express and show its infantry level of governance.
Ogunsina said, “There is nothing wrong in what the governor did in procurement of a loan. The truth of the matter is that the state is on the positive pedestal. We are on the path to prosperity.
“If APC and its leaders do not like what Governor Makinde is doing, they have no choice, they can relocate to Ogun State,” the state PDP PRO stated.
