Wednesday, November 4, 2026 - 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.
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.
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