Oyo Government Slams Federal Government Over Makinde’s Snub at Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road Flag-Off
The Oyo State Government has accused the Federal Government of deliberately excluding Governor Seyi Makinde from the flag-off ceremony of the reconstruction and dualisation of the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road, describing the move as politically motivated ahead of the 2027 general election.
The flag-off, held on Monday at Idi Ayunre in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State, was led by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, who represented President Bola Tinubu, alongside Minister of Works Dave Umahi. Other dignitaries present included the APC governorship candidate for Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja. Notably absent, however, was Governor Makinde, whose exclusion from an event held within his own state has since triggered a sharp political backlash.
Reacting to the development, Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said it was difficult to separate the governor’s exclusion from the emerging political contest ahead of 2027, describing the episode as a political jamboree that reduced an important infrastructure milestone to a partisan spectacle. Oyelade dismissed explanations suggesting Makinde was not invited because he was on leave, noting that Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal, who was serving as acting governor at the time, was equally not extended an invitation. He maintained that Makinde remained unperturbed by the snub but regretted that a project of such significance to the state and the wider South-West region had been turned into a political event. Oyelade further insisted that the political direction of 2027 was already set and that no amount of what he termed indecorum or desperation from any quarter would alter the will of the people.
The controversy deepened further when the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the party under which Makinde is seeking to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 presidential race, issued a strongly worded statement criticizing the Federal Government’s handling of the event. In a statement issued in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, alleged that Makinde’s exclusion was a deliberate attempt by the Tinubu administration and the APC to avoid inviting comparisons between the governor’s own record on road infrastructure in Oyo State and the federal government’s project. The party further alleged that the ruling party was uncomfortable with Makinde’s growing political influence and his capacity to mobilise governors and other political stakeholders ahead of the election.
Adding another layer to the political undertones of the ceremony, Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, reportedly used the occasion to publicly appeal to Makinde to defect to the APC, arguing that aligning with the ruling party would better position Oyo State to benefit from the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The remarks have further fuelled debate across the South-West over whether access to federal development projects is being tied to political allegiance, raising broader questions about the relationship between state and federal governments as political actors position themselves ahead of the 2027 polls.
The Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road, valued at N297 billion and stretching approximately 56.5 kilometres, connects Oyo and Ogun states and serves as a critical corridor for commuters, farmers, and businesses across the South-West region. As the controversy over Makinde’s exclusion continues to overshadow the infrastructure milestone, the episode has become emblematic of the intensifying political rivalry between the Oyo State Government and the Tinubu administration heading into the 2027 general election.
About the Author
