Three key appointees of the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, officially resigned from the state cabinet on Monday.
They were the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Ayobami Ojo; Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning, Adegbola Oyeleke; and a member of the state Independent Electoral Commission, Sunday Falana.
Ojo, who hails from Ago-Are in Atisbo Local Government Area of the state, communicated his resignation in a letter addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde.
The PUNCH reports that in October, the governor’s Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, resigned after more than five years in office.
His resignation was followed by that of the former Director-General of the state’s Due Process Office, Tara Adefope.
Ogunwuyi, a former member of the House of Representatives, did not publicly disclose his reason for resigning.
Following his departure, Makinde appointed Akinwole Akinwole as his replacement, while Aderonke Adedayo was appointed Director-General of the Due Process Office.
However, Ojo, on Monday, referenced his appointment letter dated June 22, 2026, and said his resignation takes immediate effect.
Ojo, who did not disclose his reason for leaving the state Executive Council, expressed appreciation to Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to serve the state.
Also, a former two-term member of the state House of Assembly and former council chairman, Oyeleke, announced his resignation as Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.
Oyeleke, in his letter dated November 2, 2026, and addressed directly to Makinde, said he was no longer comfortable with the working environment in the administration.
He added that the circumstances had made it difficult for him to effectively pursue and fulfil the aspirations of his people while serving in the government.
Oyeleke, however, appreciated the governor for his leadership, encouragement, support, as well as the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.
He wrote, “I sincerely appreciate Your Excellency’s leadership, encouragement, support and the invaluable experience I have gained during my period of service. I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements.”
The third official, Falana, who hails from Ogbomoso, also resigned his appointment as a member of OYSIEC.
In a letter dated November 2 and addressed to the governor through the Chief of Staff, Falana announced that his resignation would take immediate effect.
He did not disclose the reason for his decision but thanked Makinde for the opportunity to serve on the state’s electoral management body, describing his experience as “worthwhile.”
When The PUNCH contacted the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Bimbo Adekanmbi Campaign Council, Yinka Oladoyinbo, in Ibadan, the state capital, on Monday, he said, “The resignation will not affect the chances of our candidate (APM) in the next election. This election is not about politicians alone; it’s about the people of Oyo.
“It’s about 7.9 million people of Oyo, and they are the ones that going to decide who become the governor.
“As people are moving out of Allied People’s Movement, we also have people that are moving into APM. Like my principal said this afternoon, this is the moment we call the transfer market in politics; it’s in football. Some people would come, some people would go.
“But the ultimate power resides with the people. It is the people in the majority who will decide who becomes the governor of Oyo State, and we have the majority on our side.
“So, definitely, politicians moving or resigning will not affect our party’s chances negatively in the next general elections,” Oladoyinbo insisted.
Meanwhile, the latest departures add to the growing list of officials who have left the Makinde administration in recent months.
Other notable officials who had left their positions include former Commissioner of Police and Special Adviser on Security, Fatai Owoseni; former member of the state Advisory Council, Babatunde Oduyoye; and former Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, Funmi Arulogun.
Also included were the former Chairman of the Governing Board of the College of Agriculture, Igboora, Damilare Gideon Amusan, and former lawmaker, Peter Oyetunji.
Four other appointees — Joshua Olusola Afolabi, Rebecca Oladoja Agbejimi, Noah Adeyanju and Suleiman Adegbola — also resigned their appointments on October 19.
In a related development, the Executive Chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government, Jimoh Idowu, resigned his membership of the APM.
Idowu announced his decision in a letter addressed to the party’s executives in the local government on Monday, expressing “appreciation for the opportunity to serve and his contributions to grassroots mobilisation and party unity.”
He also promised to hand over party documents, assets and records to the appropriate authorities.
The development comes as the state Independent Electoral Commission prepares for the December 29, 2026 local government elections across the 33 LGAs.
The commission released its final list of candidates on October 27.
(Source: Punch with modified headline)
