“Oyo APC Accuses Ibadan North Chairman of Claiming Ownership of Late Lawmaker’s Project”

The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised an alarm, accusing Seun Olufade, the Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government Area, of attempting to claim ownership of a federal project facilitated by the late Musliudeen Olaide Akinremi, a former member of the House of Representatives.

The APC made the allegation in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Olawale Sadare. The statement follows claims that Olufade is planning to commission a project that he did not facilitate.

Akinremi, who represented Ibadan North Federal Constituency from 2019 until his untimely death at 51 on July 10, 2024, was instrumental in securing the funding for the project. According to APC, the Cassava Processing Plant located in the Barika area of Agbowo, Ibadan, was a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and championed by Akinremi during his tenure.

The APC expressed outrage over what they termed an attempt by Olufade to mislead the public by taking credit for a project that was borne out of the efforts of the late lawmaker. They alleged that Olufade was planning to launch the project under his name, which they argue is misleading given that the project is an initiative of the APC-led federal government.

In the statement, Sadare emphasized, “The Cassava Processing factory in Barika is an APC initiative aimed at boosting food security and empowering local communities. It is inappropriate for the chairman to falsely claim ownership of such a significant project, especially since his administration could not have funded it. Since 2019, Governor Seyi Makinde has been overseeing the use of local government allocations in the state.”

The APC also warned members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to avoid attempting to take credit for APC-driven projects across the state.

Despite these allegations, efforts by press to get a response from Seun Olufade were unsuccessful. Calls to his phone were unanswered, and a WhatsApp message seeking clarification had not been replied to by the time of filing this report on Monday.