The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has faulted claims of an alleged plan to impeach Governor Seyi Makinde, branding the development as a calculated ploy to mislead the public and win sympathy.
In a statement released on Tuesday in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the opposition party dismissed the allegation as baseless, insisting it was nothing more than a diversionary tactic lacking credibility.
The APC argued that the governor was grappling with dwindling political influence, which it attributed to what it described as poor judgment and overconfidence.
It also rejected suggestions linking President Bola Tinubu and other prominent figures to the alleged impeachment scheme, stressing that such claims were unfounded.
Sadare maintained that if the Oyo State House of Assembly had acted in line with its constitutional duties, the governor would have long faced impeachment over what he called several allegations of misconduct since assuming office in 2019.
The party’s position comes amid denials by members of the state assembly, who have distanced themselves from any impeachment move.
The lawmakers also refuted claims that notable figures, including the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Rashidi Ladoja, and Florence Ajimobi, were behind such a plot.
The situation gained further traction following fresh allegations by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who accused Makinde of plotting to remove the Olubadan, despite earlier denials from both the state government and the palace.
Fayose, in a post on his X account, urged observers to pay attention to unfolding events, alleging that recent accusations portraying the monarch as partisan were part of a broader agenda to justify possible action against him.
He added that earlier claims of a cordial relationship between the governor and the traditional ruler had been contradicted by new allegations suggesting the monarch was being linked to an impeachment agenda.
However, the APC insisted that the impeachment narrative was deliberately crafted to shift attention from Fayose’s claims regarding an alleged move to depose the Olubadan.
The party further argued that there was no serious effort by any group to remove the governor, claiming he had already reached what it termed a political dead end.
It accused the Makinde administration of resorting to propaganda to shape public opinion, insisting that such efforts would not succeed.
The opposition also reeled out a list of allegations against the governor, including purported mismanagement of funds from the 33 local government councils, questionable land dealings, inflated contract values, and the alleged diversion of a N50bn Federal Government relief fund meant for victims of the Bodija explosion.
According to the APC, these issues could constitute grounds for impeachment if substantiated, adding that they would be exposed at the appropriate time.
