By Sodiq Adelakun
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has declared that it will not participate in the local government election scheduled for December 2026, describing the planned exercise as illegal, ill-conceived and designed to serve the political interests of Governor Seyi Makinde.
The party made its position known in a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Olawale Sadare.
The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) recently fixed December 2026 for the conduct of local government elections across the state’s 33 councils.
However, the APC argued that the proposed election would further undermine democracy at the grassroots and worsen the existing challenges facing local government administration in the state.
According to the opposition party, Governor Makinde has consistently demonstrated a lack of commitment to local government autonomy and democratic governance at the third tier of government.
“The whole world knows that Gov. Makinde does not believe in local government autonomy, and when it comes to democracy at the grassroots, he cannot be trusted for anything,” the statement read.
The APC alleged that the governor had controlled the resources of the state’s 33 local government councils for more than seven years and was now seeking to install loyalists who would remain politically aligned with him after the end of his tenure in 2027.
The party further claimed that the planned election was part of efforts by the governor to retain political influence beyond his administration.
“The same Makinde is now trying to impose another set of lackeys who would be loyal to him even after leaving Agodi Government House, and he knows he cannot do this after the conduct of the 2027 general elections, which outcome would strip him of all political power and influence,” the APC stated.
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The party maintained that it would not participate in what it described as a flawed electoral process, insisting that genuine local government autonomy and democratic governance must be restored in the state.
Neither Governor Makinde nor the Oyo State Government had responded to the APC’s allegations as of the time of filing this report.
The development signals a fresh political confrontation between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections in Oyo State.
