Controversy is raging in Oyo State after the House of Assembly approved a N300 billion loan request for Governor Seyi Makinde, a move that has split lawmakers, triggered opposition backlash, and provoked civil society criticism.
The first wave of dissent came from Hon. Ibraheem Shittu, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker, who disowned the decision, stressing that the legislature was on recess during the approval. He alleged he was not notified of the emergency session and questioned why the state needed another huge facility despite a sharp rise in allocations.
The House swiftly rebuked him, describing the lawmaker as “rarely present at plenaries” and dismissing his claims as misleading. It explained that the loan includes N149 billion to refinance an existing facility with UBA and N151 billion earmarked for infrastructure and contractor financing. The Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin, and Information Committee Chair, Waheed Akintayo, accused Shittu of falsehood and legislative absenteeism.
The APC in Oyo condemned the deal, arguing that it would sink the state deeper into debt. The party alleged the governor had already secured two major loans earlier in the year, totalling over N310 billion, and described the new approval as reckless and damaging to future generations. “The fresh N300 billion loan was the third in the series in 2025 alone,” the party said, warning the state could collapse under debt before Makinde leaves office in 2027.
In defence, the government maintained that no “N300 billion loan” exists in the way critics framed it. Governor Makinde’s spokesman, Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said the financing is a responsible restructuring plan that includes refinancing old debts and supporting critical infrastructure projects such as the Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road and Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport upgrade. He insisted Makinde’s administration has grown internally generated revenue to over N70 billion without imposing new taxes and accused the APC of hypocrisy given its record of abandoned projects.
The storm has spilled beyond partisan lines. Civic groups like the Concerned Youth Movement branded the Assembly’s action as disrespectful to the electorate, claiming lawmakers have mortgaged the state’s future without due consultation. The group demanded vigilance from residents and leaders to resist what it described as “legislative rubber-stamping.”
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Meanwhile, within the APC, concerns have risen over the safety of Hon. Shittu. A party chieftain, Barrister AbdulWaheed Olatunde Lawal, urged the leadership to petition security agencies to guarantee the lawmaker’s protection amid alleged threats following his outcry.
He warned that abandoning Shittu for raising alarms over financial impropriety would amount to punishing courage and could stain the party’s image as a defender of accountability.
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