EXCLUSIVE: Councillors, Political Leaders Fingered In Plan To Humiliate Abeokuta North LG Chairman

A leaked plan by councillors in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State to embarrass the Executive Chairman of the council, Hon. Lanre Oyegbola-Sodipo, has been exposed.

Oyegbola-Sodipo, who has been adjudged the best-performing local government chairman due to his focus on development and the upliftment of the council area, is believed to be the target of the plot being hatched by some councillors within the council.

Sources within the council and among those involved in the plan disclosed that the action is scheduled to take place before the end of this week or in the early days of next month.

A serving councillor, who confided in our reporter, revealed that some political leaders aligned with a governorship aspirant are unhappy with the chairman. According to the source, the chairman is perceived as being too loyal to the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, while also alleging that the party chairman, Alhaja Faidat Akintunde Sarumi, dictates activities within the local government.

The source added that part of their grievance is that the chairman allegedly failed to send the customary “Owo Odun” and has not shown support for their political cause.

Further investigations by our reporter revealed that some councillors are disposed to the plot in a bid to extract more money from the council chairman, whom they believe should be giving them more financial benefits than they currently receive.

The serving councillor, who requested anonymity, however, admitted that the chairman has performed creditably and has done more than many of his counterparts. He noted that the chairman provides monthly financial allocations to councillors and allows them to execute constituency projects, an arrangement he said had never existed previously in the local government. He added that despite this, some councillors are acting on directives from their political leaders and are determined to cause disruption within the council.

He further stated that although discussions had taken place, not all councillors support the planned disruption.

Observers say it has become imperative for leaders within the local government, including the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat; the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi; the APC State Organising Secretary, Hon. Yemi Adelani; and the party chairman, Alhaja Faidat Akintunde Sarumi, to intervene. This, they say, would help forestall a situation similar to the crisis that disrupted activities in Ota Local Government, where councillors suspended and later impeached the chairman before the matter was resolved.

Meanwhile, developments are being closely monitored, and the public will be kept informed.