News Investigators/ The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Oyo State, Sikiru Titilola-Sodo, has accused Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde of betraying those that worked for his return for a second term in office.
Mr Makinde has endorsed Bimbo Adekanmbi, contesting under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) as his preferred successor in 2027.
Speaking on Monday at the Oyo State NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel guest forum in Ibadan, the former labor leader and former Special Adviser to Makinde questioned Adekanmbi’s role in the 2023 coalition victory.
“Only Mr Makinde knows the reason he picked Adekanmbi to succeed him,” Titilola-Sodo stated, adding that core builders of the government cannot support this choice and that he will not step down.
According to him, the emergence of Adekanmbi as the preferred successor to Makinde did not reflect the contributions of those who worked for the governor’s electoral victory.
Mr Titilola-Sodo reminded Makinde that, despite his influence within the state’s political structure, he would not personally be on the ballot in the 2027 governorship election, but acknowledged that the outgoing administration had recorded achievements, particularly in infrastructure.
“The outgoing government has done very well in some areas. But there are still other areas that need attention. We know where we started and where we are now,”he said.
On workers’ welfare, the former NLC chairman argued that civil servants and other public-sector workers in the state deserved better treatment, particularly in view of the revenue accruing to the state.
Mr Titilola-Sodo raised concerns about the state of education, particularly the conditions under which teachers in public primary and secondary schools operate.
He alleged that some teachers are compelled to purchase teaching materials with their personal resources, despite the fact that such materials are required for effective teaching, noting that they can’t speak out, but assured that he would speak for them.
The AA candidate also expressed concern over the funding of tertiary institutions in the state, arguing that inadequate financial support was affecting the welfare of academic and non-academic staff.
He specifically cited Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, saying lecturers and other members of staff had outstanding financial obligations yet to be settled.
“There is no reason why our tertiary institutions should not be properly funded. We need to provide the tools for these people to work,”he said.
He, however, promised that, if elected governor, his administration would review the state’s wage structure and improve workers’ remuneration, maintaining that workers were not being adequately compensated in relation to the resources available to the state.
The former labour leader called for greater development of Ibadan and improved investment in transportation infrastructure, particularly aviation, adding that, “Ibadan, as the state capital and a major economic centre, deserves greater attention.
“Ibadan deserves to be pampered. We are the only zone that has only one international airport. Lagos airport is not for the West. We are saying there is plenty of room for improvement.
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