No Plan to Suspend APC Legislator Over ₦300bn Loan, Says Oyo Assembly

The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the state House of Assembly of planning to victimize and suspend Ibrahim Shittu, the representative for Saki West Constituency. This alleged plot stems from Shittu’s opposition to Governor Seyi Makinde’s request for a ₦300bn loan.

In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the APC alleged that Assembly leaders had perfected plans to accuse Shittu of breaching House rules and subject him to what it called a “kangaroo panel” that would hand him indefinite suspension.

The opposition also claimed there were moves to “attack, victimise and harass” the lawmaker.

“These satanic plans and many more are being sponsored by some unscrupulous elements around the governor who profit from the various sharp practices which the current administration has perpetrated since 2019,” the party alleged.

The APC maintained that Shittu had only responded to the party’s inquiry about his role in the loan approval, warning that attempts to silence him would be resisted. It also called on eminent Nigerians and security agencies to protect the lawmaker’s rights.

Assembly: Allegations False, Mischievous

In its reaction, the House dismissed the claims as baseless and politically motivated.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Media, Public Affairs and ICT, Waheed Akintayo, the Assembly said, “Let it be categorically stated that there is no plot, real or imagined, to victimise Shittu or any other lawmaker. The state Assembly remains a bastion of democracy, where all members, regardless of party affiliation, are treated with respect, fairness, and afforded the freedom to express their views.”

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Akintayo added that the allegations were “false, mischievous, and amplified in bad faith for political gains.” He described APC’s claims that thugs were being mobilised as “laughable and regrettable,” saying such tactics reflected the opposition’s “own tendencies.”

The Assembly spokesman insisted that the ₦300bn loan approval process was transparent, diligent, and in full compliance with legislative procedures.

He explained that the emergency sitting was convened because the facility was “essential, urgent, and expedient for the infrastructural and socio-economic development of the state.”

Akintayo noted that while the Assembly reserved the authority to discipline any member who violated its rules, it remained committed to peace, fairness, and respect for the people of Oyo State.

Governor Makinde had written to Speaker Debo Ogundoyin seeking legislative approval for the loan, which was granted by two-thirds of the House.

The approval sparked a protest last week in Ibadan by APC members, who accused the governor of turning Oyo into a “perpetual loan collector.”

During the demonstration, the opposition declared, “We are here to show our support to him (Shittu) for taking a bold step to stand against the loan. We are behind him. We are here to tell the governor that he should not make the state a perpetual loan collector.”