Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State appears to be facing another fight from another front after stakeholders of the state’s confederated markets rejected the choice Alhaji Yekini Abass as Babaloja General.
Makinde is going to next February governorship election as a member of the G-5, group of five governors of the PDP led by Governor Nyisom Wike of Rivers State in opposition to the party’s presidential candidate.
Quite unrelated to party politics, though, the Oyo State market administration has been in a flux over the choice of who heads it.
But trouble for Makinde may have doubled especially with the market problems not ending soon after the Congress of Babalojas and Iyalojas in Oyo state expressed dissatisfaction over the governor appending his signature on the certificate of recognition issued by Mr. Bayo Lawal to Alhaji Abass as Babaloja-General of Oyo State.
Not only that, they are also threatening legal action against the Oyo state governor, commissioner for Trade and Industry, Bayo Lawal and Alhaji Yekini Abass if they refuse to reverse their actions.
Details of the tiff are contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the emergency Congress meeting held at the Trans Amusement Park, Bodija Ibadan and made available to journalists on Monday.
The Congress unanimously rejected Alhaji Yekini Abass as Babaloja-General and described the action of the state government as a mere waste of time.
“The Congress which comprises of Babalojas and Iyalojas from the 33 local government councils and 5 geo-political zones of the state, in Ibadan unanimously rejected the choice of Alhaji Yekini Abass as Babaloja-General of Oyo State in view of the fact that the action taken by the government of Oyo State under Engr. Seyi Makinde is bilated, hence it’s of no substance, becomes null and void.
“The Congress also referred Oyo State Government to the acton it took on August 24th, 2020 at the House of Chiefs, Oyo State House of Assembly where Alhaji Sunmaila Aderemi Jimoh was elected and subsequently sworn-in as Babaloja-General of Oyo State by this same Congress.
“The Congress also wish to bring to the awareness of the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde that Alhaji Sunmaila Aderemi Jimoh was presented to the Oyo State House of Assembly through House Committee on Trade for recognition and the House issued letter of recognition to him immediately to him.
“As at the time of electing and swearing-in of Alhaji Sunmaila Aderemi Jimoh there was no bridge/intermediary between the governor and the trader’s association, that necessitated the need to write House committee on trade, as well as ministry of trade and industry,” the communique read.
The Stakeholders insisted that Alhaji Abass was never nominated nor contested for the position of Babaloja-General of Oyo State.