. Loan approval legitimate, he’s an absentee lawmaker, says Assembly
All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, on Monday, threw its weight behind Ibraheem Shittu, the opposition lawmaker in the state House of Assembly who is challenging the approval of a N300billion loan for Governor Seyi Makinde.
Shittu, who is APC lawmaker representing Saki West constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly, faulted the approval process, insisting that the loan was passed without the required two-thirds majority of lawmakers.
The lawmaker also accused his colleagues of deliberately excluding him from the session where the approval was granted, describing it as a “secret process.”
Oyo APC State Chairman, Olayide Abas, while addressing a crowd of party supporters during a peaceful protest in Ibadan, the state capital, said the demonstration was organised to show solidarity with Shittu, who has reportedly received threats since raising the alarm.
“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.
He added that the APC was dissatisfied with what it described as mismanagement of funds by the Peoples Democratic Party-led administration.
The protest began at the APC secretariat in Oke-Ado, moved through major parts of the city and ended at Mokola Roundabout.
During the rally, Governor Seyi Makinde was heavily criticised over his borrowing record, with the APC chairman arguing that the rising debt profile was unnecessary given recent increases in federal allocations.
But the PDP in the state, in a swift reaction, defended Governor Makinde.
The Oyo State PDP Publicity Secretary, Michael Ogunsina, in a statement, maintained that the loan approval was legitimate and in the state’s interest.
“There is nothing wrong in what the governor did. Oyo is on the path to prosperity,” dismissing the APC’s protest as a sign of political immaturity.
Earlier, the Oyo State House of Assembly had dismissed Shittu’s objections, describing him as an absentee lawmaker.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin and Information Committee Chairman, Waheed Akintayo.
