The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and the widow of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Florence, have denied purportedly inducing members of the state House of Assembly, through its Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, to begin an impeachment process against Governor Seyi Makinde.
Ogundoyin became the centre of the alleged plot on Tuesday morning after members of the state House of Assembly issued individual statements to absolve themselves of any knowledge of discussions between the Speaker and both the Olubadan and Ajimobi’s wife.
In his viral statement, the Chief Whip of the state assembly, Gbenga Oyekola, had revealed that Ogundoyin was invited by the Olubadan and Mrs Ajimobi.
The statement quoted the Olubadan as advising the Speaker on his governorship ambition and offering to secure a House of Representatives ticket for him under the APC “along with the necessary funds to prosecute the election.”
The Speaker was reported to have declined the offer.
Ogundoyin was also said to have been invited by the former governor’s wife on the same subject matter.
“He said he was offered money but declined and did not collect anything from them,” Oyekola’s statement read.
The chief whip claimed that the invitations were aimed at disrupting the peace in the state and creating division within the state House of Assembly to pave the way for the alleged impeachment of Makinde.
“I was never invited, never consulted, and was not part of any such meetings or arrangements. I cannot and will not be disloyal to my boss, Governor Seyi Makinde,” Oyekola stated.
Like Oyekola, many other lawmakers of the state assembly followed suit, declaring their unwavering loyalty and support for Makinde while dissociating themselves from alleged plans to remove the governor.
In his reaction, the Olubadan, through his media aide, Adeola Oloko, warned against dragging the throne into dirty politics.
The statement refuted the claim that the monarch was planning to unseat Makinde.
It read, “To say the least, this is a lie. You don’t have to be a former governor or distinguished senator to know that a monarch has no power to impeach a local government chairman, let alone a state governor.
“This becomes intriguing when, less than 24 hours earlier, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose alleged the state governor’s purported plot to remove the Olubadan.
“Today, it is the Olubadan who allegedly wants to impeach the governor. So, who is fooling whom? Don’t drag the Olubadan throne into dirty politics.”
On her part, Mrs Ajimobi denied alleged financial inducements aimed at influencing members of the state assembly to impeach Makinde.
Speaking through her media office, Ajimobi described the claims as “entirely false, baseless, and a deliberate act of disinformation” intended to tarnish her image, de-market her and mislead the public.
The statement read, “At no time did Ajimobi convene, attend or participate in any such meeting with any individual or group for the purpose of discussing impeachment or destabilising the state government.”
She said the attempt to link her name to the allegations was “malicious political propaganda aimed at bringing her into disrepute, particularly among the people of the state and beyond.”
The statement further read, “Activities of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo are of no concern to me. Linking me to such a plot could only be borne out of mischief and deliberate reverse propaganda to malign my reputation.”
Ogundoyin, the man in the eye of the storm, also denied allegations that he received money from All Progressives Congress proxies in the state to facilitate the impeachment of Makinde, describing the claim as false and politically motivated.
Ogundoyin acknowledged that he was presented with “juicy offers and opportunities,” which he said he immediately declined.
He said, “No money exchanged hands at any meeting. The rumour was fabricated to tarnish my image and destabilise the state government and legislature.
“I was presented with juicy offers and opportunities, but I declined without hesitation because nothing can sway my conscience or weaken my loyalty to the governor, the party and the people we were elected to serve.
“I remain fully committed to upholding the integrity of this House and will not be part of any agenda aimed at destabilising the government we built.”
The Speaker reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to the governor and the ruling PDP in the state, adding that “no one would succeed in driving a wedge between him and the administration or derail the collective mandate they were elected to uphold.”
On his visit to the Olubadan, the Speaker said it was “purely consultative and took place weeks earlier.”
He said he met the monarch to inform him of his governorship ambition and seek his blessings, noting that the visit was rooted in respect and tradition.
Ladoja’s son, Shola, however, threatened to release evidence over meeting claims if the Oyo Speaker failed to do “the right thing.”
Shola wrote on X, “I was the one who took Debo Ogundoyin to Kabiyesi (my father) because he begged me to. Dear Chief Whip, you have just been used as a tool by a coward and a liar. I will release receipts if Debo doesn’t do the right thing. All because of his selfish ambitions to be governor.”
However, in another post, he said, “My recent tweet was deleted because I realised a lot of people thought I meant a payment receipt. No. I meant receipt of our conversations.
“Debo, on March 25, begged me to take him to my father to back him for the gubernatorial ambition, which I was very hesitant to do.
“Kabiyesi only advised him on how to go about the screening and prayed for him. Whoever is spreading this rumour only wants to create a rift between Kabiyesi and His Excellency. Please leave us out of this.”
Meanwhile, a cross-section of lawmakers of the Oyo Assembly claimed that the Federal Government was engineering the impeachment plot because Makinde was opposed to President Bola Tinubu.
They argued that the plot was aimed at unsettling Makinde ahead of the 2027 election.
It’s script – APC
The Oyo State chapter of the APC dismissed the alleged involvement of President Tinubu and others in the plot.
According to a statement by the Oyo APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the alleged impeachment plot against Makinde was “a badly written script aimed at distracting the general public and also attracting undue sympathy for the governor, who faces imminent political retirement as a result of his own ego and naivety.”
It added, “Governor Makinde ought to have been impeached long ago if the state House of Assembly members were alive to their responsibilities, in view of several cases of abuse of office which have been recorded against him since May 2019.”
The statement further read, “Governor Makinde just decided to get some of his yes-men to implement a badly written script aimed at offering him a soft landing in the minds of some gullible supporters, including those who have put their political future in his hands, especially now that it is almost certain that he (Makinde) might not have a political party to sponsor any candidate in the 2027 general elections.
“Sadly, an informed source had it that the impeachment story was sold to mitigate the effects of the revelation made by the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, about the plan to dethrone the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja (Arusa I), but the fact remains that no external person is interested in an impeachment process against a governor who has already reached a cul-de-sac.
“Meanwhile, no amount of blackmail or propaganda can save Governor Makinde from impeachment, as we believe that his false alarm would serve as an eye-opener to the whole world that he has skeletons in the cupboard.”
The PUNCH