'APC plotting to destabilise Makinde's govt'

Oduyoye alleged that the APC in Oyo is "hell-bent" on plunging the State into crisis and possibly make it ungovernable.

The Governor's aide stated this on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, while reacting to the letter credited to the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on the matter of Oyo State Local Governments.

Malami, had in a letter, asked Governor Makinde to reverse the dissolution of Oyo State Local Government and reinstate all sacked members.

Describing the said letter as subjudice, Oduoaye stated that as far as the matter was still before the Court of Appeal, no one is expected to take extra-constitutional measures, except such a person is "nursing ulterior motives".

“The matter is in court and as far as we are concerned, it is sub judice,” the Political Adviser said adding that "Malami must have committed an obvious blunder by taking a step against the interest of the judiciary and the constitution he is meant to protect".

According to Oduyoye, the Government of Oyo State was not oblivious of the intent of some elements in the main opposition party in the state to plunge the it into crisis and possibly make it ungovernable.

He alleged that Malami's letter was part of the "grand plot" to "frustrate" the Makinde Government, thereby preventing him from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Oyo state.

"We have read a letter being circulated in the social media by elements of the APC in which the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), gave a directive to Governor Seyi Makinde to reverse the House of Assembly’s decision to suspend the 68 illegal chairmen of local governments in Oyo State," Oduyoye said.

“That directive, apart from being unconstitutional and misplaced, is part of the APC’s grand plot to cause a major crisis in Oyo State in order to destabilise the Government of Governor Makinde and ultimately make the State ungovernable.

“We have intelligence report over series of meetings held by APC leaders, who now feel threatened by Governor Makinde’s soaring profile. They are worried at the manner in which he defeated the APC at the polls and were ashamed that the Supreme Court thwarted their organised attempt to steal his mandate."

Oduyoye maintained that intelligence reports had already indicated that leaders of the APC had marked Makinde as their "public enemy number one" due to his soaring public image.

“We are aware that a number of politicians are unhappy with the growing popularity of Governor Makinde and especially the recent launch of the Western Nigeria Security Network popularly known as Amotekun," Oduyoye said.

“The APC in Oyo State has, ever since it lost the March 9, 2019 governorship election, been hell-bent on retaking the seat through the illegal means. We are aware of the several underhand means and dirty tactics they have deployed and were at a stage christened 'Pakute Politics,'” he added.

Oduyoye further stated that through the statement made by a serving Senator of the APC, who indicated that his party had set traps for Governor Makinde, it became clear that the desperation of APC elements knows no limits.

“We are really not surprised by the desperation of the APC to destabilise Oyo State, ever since it failed in the Governorship election, it has been employing underhand tactics to steal Makinde’s mandate and one of its senators, Teslim Folarin, had even gone as far as saying that the APC had set two traps for the Makinde Government."

He cautioned the Federal Government and "its agents" to be wary of their actions especially as they affected the local government debacle in Oyo State, as the matter was still in court.

“Let us warn those elements who are pushing to destabilise Oyo State through the unholy resurrection of the sacked council chairmen that the people of Oyo State will not be used as a tool by unscrupulous elements.

“The Federal Government also needed to be reminded that Nigeria is a federation, with constitutionally guaranteed democratic systems. We urge the government at the centre to await the decision of the court on the matter of Local Government councils in Oyo State rather than use attempt to resort to illegality and measures that are not backed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic, 1999,” the statement said.