Governor Seyi Makinde and Speaker Adebowale Ogundoyin
By Ayodele Oni
There are indications that the crisis rocking the Oyo state Legislative arm over alleged plan impeachment of Governor Seyi Makinde May consume the assembly’s speaker, Adebowale Ogundoyin.
Barring any last minutes’ change of plans, the 39-year old Ogundoyin’s almost seven years’ reign as speaker would terminate in a matter of days, OYOINSIGHT.COM can authoritatively confirm.
Plans to impeach him and replace him with his deputy, Fadeyi Mohammed, two-term member representing Ona Ara state constituency, have been perfected, according to sources in the governor’s office and the speaker’s colleagues.
Gbenga Oyekola from Atiba state constituency will step in as deputy speaker, the sources said, requesting anonymity.
Ogundoyin, who has been representing Ibarapa East state constituency since 2018 after he won the bye-election following the death of then speaker, Michael Adeyemo on 27th April, 2018, was alleged of been involved in alleged anti-party activities and move to impeach Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State.
Though he has not denied it, Ogundoyin’s colleagues have been coming out Tuesday morning to denounce him.
This was after last night’s meeting at the Government House, also attended by Ogundoyin.
One of our sources, a member of the House, who is still loyal to Ogundoyin, confirmed the development but said efforts were underway to prevent his eventual sack.
The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebowale Ogundoyin, has revealed that there are external pressure on him to initiate impeachment move against Governor Seyi Makinde.
Confirming an impeachment plot against the Governor, the Speaker admitted receiving monetary inducement.
It was gathered that Ogundoyin’s confirmation followed reports that he met the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja and a former first lady in the state, Florence Ajimobi, in an attempt to impeach Makinde.
However, Oguntoyinbo, who represents Ibarapa East State constituency, in a statement to journalists on Tuesday, clarified various allegations concerning the move to impeach Governor Makinde.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State
Ogundoyin admitted that he met with the former first lady and Olubadan and was offered a monetary inducement to impeach Makinde, but he rejected the offer.
The Speaker further stated that the meeting was also to seek the royal blessing for his gubernatorial ambition.
He said, “I was offered monetary inducement, but I declined without hesitation because no amount of money can buy my conscience or compromise my loyalty to the Governor, the party, and the people we were elected to serve.
“I remain fully committed to upholding the integrity of this House and will not be part of any agenda aimed at destabilising the government.”
Meanwhile, Florence Ajimobi has dismissed claims that she is plotting the impeachment of Governor Makinde.
In a statement issued by her media office, Ajimobi denied allegations linking her to financial inducements allegedly aimed at influencing members of the Oyo State House of Assembly to impeach Makinde.
She described the allegation as a deliberate attempt to tarnish her image, undermine her reputation and mislead the public.
Ajimobi also dismissed claims that she hosted or attended any meeting in Lagos or elsewhere where plans to influence the State Assembly were discussed.
“Corruption is the insurgent within — quiet, persistent, and deadly.”
In less than six months, Nigeria has lost two generals on the battlefield — cut down in operations against what should, by all conventional reckoning, be a ragtag insurgent force. Alongside them, several colonels, officers, and countless other ranks have paid the ultimate price.
These are not just casualties of war. They are symptoms of a deeper, more troubling reality.
Too often, these deaths occur in ambushes — situations that suggest not just tactical misfortune, but systemic failure. In some cases, there are whispers of betrayal from within. In others, of equipment that fails at the critical moment — vehicles that break down under fire, communication systems that go silent, weapons that malfunction when they are most needed.
When a nation’s generals fall this frequently, the question must be asked: what exactly is going on?
The answer, uncomfortable as it may be, can be summed up in one word: corruption.
I speak not from conjecture, but from experience. As a member of the Senate Committee on Defence between 2011 and 2015, I visited the frontlines of the Boko Haram war. What I saw there left an indelible mark on my understanding of the challenges our military faces — not from the enemy alone, but from within. Nothing suggests this trend has changed.
Senator Babafemi Ojudu
I saw armoured tanks that were not truly armoured — machines that offered appearance without protection. Bulletproof vests that proved no bullet. I saw soldiers going into battle in bathroom slippers, not out of indiscipline, but out of sheer neglect. I met troops surviving on a daily ration of noodles — men expected to fight a brutal insurgency on an empty stomach.
I encountered soldiers who had not been rotated out of combat zones for two or three years. Fatigue had set in. Morale was low. These were men worn down not just by the enemy, but by a system that seemed indifferent to their humanity.
Many did not know when their allowances would be paid. Their families waited at home in uncertainty, while they faced bullets and bombs with quiet resignation. When they fall in battle, it is another story for those they left behind. In such conditions, how does one sustain morale? How does one build the fighting spirit required to confront a determined adversary?
Then there is the question of leadership and structure.
In a professional military, promotions should be based on merit, courage, and competence. But where ethnicity and religion begin to influence advancement, the foundation of professionalism is weakened. When loyalty is redirected from the institution to narrow identities, cohesion suffers.
At the top, troubling priorities persist. There are too many stories — too widely known to be dismissed — of senior officers more invested in private ventures: shopping complexes, housing estates, and hotels, than in the welfare and operational readiness of their troops. A military leadership distracted by personal accumulation cannot effectively lead men into battle.
The institutional framework does little to help. A defence ministry that allocates more resources to buildings, fencing, and administrative structures than to arms, ammunition, intelligence, and training sends a dangerous signal about what truly matters. The oversight committee itself was and still is a cesspool of corruption and sleaze.
What emerges from all this is a pattern — a system in which corruption is not an aberration, but a defining feature.
Corruption in this context is not just about money changing hands. It is about compromised procurement that delivers substandard equipment. It is about logistics chains that fail under pressure because funds have been diverted. It is about intelligence leaks that expose troops to ambush. It is about neglect that leaves soldiers underfed, underpaid, and overexposed.
In such a system, the insurgent gains an advantage without necessarily being stronger. He benefits from our weaknesses. He exploits our failures. He thrives on our dysfunction.
And so, generals fall.
Not just because the enemy is formidable, but because the system meant to support them is fragile.
The tragedy is that this is not unique to the military. The same disease afflicts our education system, where resources vanish while classrooms decay. It is present in healthcare, where hospitals lack basic tools while budgets suggest otherwise. It runs through infrastructure, where projects are conceived with enthusiasm and abandoned with indifference.
Corruption has become the thread that binds our national challenges together.
But in the case of the military, the consequences are immediate and irreversible. A mismanaged classroom can be rebuilt. A poorly equipped hospital can be upgraded. But a soldier lost to negligence is gone forever. A general cut down in his prime is a blow not just to his family, but to the institution and the nation he served.
We must, therefore, confront this truth with clarity and urgency.
We cannot win the war against insurgency if we continue to lose the war against corruption. We cannot expect courage from our soldiers while denying them the tools, support, and leadership they need. We cannot mourn fallen heroes in public while ignoring the conditions that led to their deaths.
The path forward is neither mysterious nor easy. It requires accountability at every level — transparent procurement, merit-based promotions, proper funding of training and equipment, and above all, a leadership culture that places service above self.
Until then, we will continue to count our losses.
And the most painful truth of all will remain this: many of those losses are avoidable.
Senator Ojudu was a Presidential Adviser in the office of the Vice President during the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has revealed that some indigenes of communities experiencing banditry in the state are among suspects so far arrested by security agents.
He reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to stamp out insecurity in Imafon, Igushin and Ilado communities in Akure North Local Government Area, pledging decisive action against criminal elements operating in the axis.
The governor made the declaration on Tuesday during a familiarization and condolence visit to the palace of the Olumafon of Imafon, Oba Samuel Adegbehingbe Aliu, following a series of violent attacks within the communities.
Expressing sympathy with the bereaved families, Governor Aiyedatiwa assured that measures were already being intensified to restore calm and safeguard lives and property.
He described the recent killings as deeply disturbing, citing the murder of a female farmer and her daughter at a poultry farm in a forest area, as well as the shooting of a young man in Ilado who resisted abduction.
He insisted that such acts would not be tolerated, noting that although insecurity is a nationwide concern, the state government remains committed to protecting its citizens.
The governor disclosed that security agencies, including the police, Civil Defence Corps and the military, are working in collaboration with local hunters and vigilantes to secure forests and adjoining communities.
While acknowledging progress in tackling kidnapping for ransom, he warned that the recent spate of killings indicated a troubling shift that must be urgently addressed.
According to him, more than 100 suspected kidnappers have been arrested, detained and charged to court, while operations are ongoing to flush out criminal elements hiding in forest enclaves.
Governor Aiyedatiwa announced that Amotekun posts would be established within the troubled communities to enhance surveillance and improve response time.
He said the state government would also collaborate with the military to strengthen monitoring of vulnerable locations, expressing confidence that increased security presence would deter criminal activities.
Calling for collective action, the governor urged residents, particularly youths, elders, hunters and vigilantes, to cooperate with security agencies.
He warned against harbouring criminals, noting that such actions undermine efforts to combat insecurity through the leakage of vital information.
He disclosed that some youths from the affected communities had already been apprehended for their involvement in criminal activities and appealed to residents to provide credible intelligence to security operatives.
He assured residents of the government’s commitment to ensuring their safety through lawful and structured interventions.
Earlier, the Chairman of Akure North Local Government, Johnson Ogunbolude, expressed concern over the attacks, describing them as unfortunate.
He noted that although the governor was out of the state at the time of the incidents, he remained in constant touch with leaders of the communities and security agencies.
Ogunbolude appealed to residents to support government efforts with constructive contributions.
In his remarks, the Olumafon of Imafon, Oba Samuel Adegbehingbe Aliu, commended the governor’s intervention, particularly the ongoing road construction, which he said would help address security challenges.
However, he lamented the lack of firearms for vigilantes, noting that it had hampered their effectiveness.
The monarch also criticised the delayed response of some security operatives, alleging that certain personnel operate without adequate weapons.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has gifted Ekiti-born Miss Adeolu Oluwadamilola who emerged winner of Africa Spelling Bee competition, her coach, and her school, St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado Ekiti cash gifts worth N8 million.
The Governor equally pledged to sponsor the Spelling Bee African champion, her mother and coach to the world championship holding in China later in the year.
Speaking while receiving Adeolu, the Africa Spelling Bee Champion, her mother, Mrs Oluwabunmi Adeolu, School Proprietor, Mr Lawrence Oluwafemi and her coach, Mrs Esther Omolayo in his office in Ado Ekiti, Governor Oyebanji said his administration remains committed to prioritizing education as a central pillar of development.
Commending Miss Oluwadamilola for bringing honour to Ekiti State and Nigeria, the Governor described her achievement as a reflection of the State’s long standing tradition of academic excellence.
He added that the feat underscored the value of diligence, discipline and excellence for which Ekiti people are widely known.
According to him, administration has ensured a deliberate balance between what is being taught, how it is being taught and where is being taught, adding that concerted efforts are also being made to align the curriculum with the demands and realities of the 21st century.
The Governor urged students across the state to remain focused on their studies, stressing that hard work, determination and discipline remains the surest path to success, while assuring that government would continue to create an enabling environment for them to thrive.
“Damilola has once again demonstrated what Ekiti people are known for, diligence, hardwork, honour and excellence and I am so proud of her.
“As a government, in the last three and half years, we have done everything humanly possible to reposition the education sector in Ekiti State from the primary, secondary to tertiary education system and we are also looking at informal education.
“Our strategy is to ensure that we strike a balance between what is being taught, how is being taught and where is being taught because for you to have the best in that sector, the content and the curriculum must be alive to serve the need of the state, the country and globally.
“After conquering Africa, what is next is to conquer the world, I learnt that she will be going to China to represent Africa, the State will sponsor her, the mother, her coach and two others from the school. And as a token of appreciation,
the State government will give Damilola two million Naira, her coach, one million and the school, five million Naira”, the Governor asserted
Earlier in his opening remarks, the proprietor of the school, Mr Lawrence Oluwafemi commended the State Government’s education policies, particularly the Governor’s intentional approach to improving the sector.
Describing the Governor’s gesture as a strong affirmation to his commitment to rewarding excellence and hard work in the education sector, Mr Lawrence noted that the recorgnition would further inspire both student and staff of the school to remain dedicated to academic excellence and discipline.
The Spelling Bee Champion, Adeolu Oluwadamilola expressed her profound gratitude to the Governor for the recognition and support extended to her, especially the plan to sponsor her to China to represent Africa at the forthcoming World Spelling Been competition.
The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has admitted former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, to N200 million bail in one of the corruption cases instituted against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offence Commission, (ICPC).
The trial judge, Rilwanu Aikawa, delivered the ruling on Tuesday after earlier adjourning the matter from April 1 to April 14, 2026, to consider arguments from both the prosecution and defence.
Justice Aikawa listed other bail conditions aside the sum of N200 million as two sureties in like sum.
The court further directed that one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 15, while the other must be a recognised traditional ruler.
In addition, the defendant is barred from making public comments relating to the case and must attend all court sittings.
Counsel to the former governor, Ubong Akpan, declined comments when approached by journalists shortly after proceedings.
However, El-Rufai’s son, Bello El-Rufai, confirmed that his father had been granted bail.
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), Hayatudeen Lawal Makarfi, also corroborated the development, noting that the bail came with multiple conditions, including financial requirements, landed property and the involvement of a recognised traditional ruler as surety.
He added that the conditions, which are numerous, must be met before the former governor can regain his freedom, stressing that El-Rufai would remain in ICPC custody pending compliance.
Justice Darius Khobo of a Kaduna State High Court, for the second time within 24 hours, adjourned ruling on the bail application of former Governor of the State, Nasir El-Rufai. The new date is now April 21, 2026.
El-Rufai, a prominent figure in the opposition Coalition platform has been facing inter-agency prosecutions over multiple charges bordering on alleged money laundering, diversion of public funds, abuse of office and security related Offences.
He was, on Monday, April 13, 2026, re-arraigned before a Kaduna State High Court on amended 9-count charge bordering on abuse of office and diversion of over N11 billion being funds meant for Kaduna light rail project during his tenure as the state Governor.
He had earlier been arraigned before same court penultimate week, and his bail application billed for ruling on April, 13, 2026.
However, following the decision of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to file fresh charges, Judge Justice Khobo shifted ruling on the bail application to Tuesday April 14, 2026.
However, the bail application was on Tuesday stalled following Justice Khobo’s decision to defer judgment to April 21, 2026.
Conversely, Honourable Justice Rilwan Aikawa of a Federal High Court Kaduna on Tuesday ruled to grant El-Rufai bail.
The former Kaduna state Governor is standing trial before the Federal High Court on a 10- count charge bordering on alleged money laundering, diversion of public funds ,and inflation of Severance package to the tune of over N579 million while in office.
However, El-Rufai, despite the bail offer from the Federal High Court will continue to be in custody ,till April 21, 2026 when the Kaduna State High will be ruling on his second bail application.
Unconfirmed reports say that El-Rufai has been programmed to remain in custody till April 23, 2026, when he is billed to be arraigned at an Abuja Federal High Court by the Department of State Services, DSS, on charges bordering on alleged wire-tapping of the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser, NSA.
El-Rufai has been in the custody of the ICPC since February 18, 2026, when he was granted bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
A member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) convention planning committee, Dino Melaye, has revealed that there were attempts to lock out party members from the proposed venue of the national convention in Abuja after payment has been made.
He, however, declared that no force can prevent the party from holding its national convention, insisting organisers have a valid contract and completed payment for the venue.
Melaye spoke on Tuesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show, amid controversy over the venue for the party’s convention.
The ADC had earlier raised concerns that attempts were being made to frustrate the event after difficulties in securing a location for the gathering.
According to Melaye, organisers were allegedly asked to leave the premises on Monday, while there were also moves to shut the gates and stop preparations.
He said the committee rejected the demand, stressing that the party had entered into a lawful agreement with the management of the facility.
“I have that information as a member of the planning committee and the chairman of the protocol committee, and not only we were even asked to leave yesterday, they wanted to shut the gates.
“But we insisted, and said we are not going to leave because we have a contract duly signed with this place, and we paid fully,” he said.
The former senator added that all payment records and contractual documents were intact, making any attempt to eject the party unjustifiable.
“We have receipt of payments. We have duly signed contracts. The most important thing is that at the end of the day we are here, and we hold our convention here,” he stated.
In a defiant tone, Melaye said the party would proceed with the exercise regardless of opposition.
“Nobody will stop us. After a contract, a proper contract, with the owners of this place, and after payment and receipt issued, no battalion would have moved us away from here today.
“So convention is going to hold. The exercise will hold. ADC is entrenched, and we are kicking out APC.”
His remarks come as political activities ahead of the 2027 general election continue to gather momentum, with opposition parties intensifying efforts to build new alliances and strengthen their structures nationwide
The federal government and the Kingdom Morocco, are set to sign an intergovernmental agreement, IGA, on a planned $25 billion gas pipeline agreement this year, according to Reuters.
The international news agency made this known on Monday citing a comment by the head of Morocco’s hydrocarbons and mining agency, ONHYM.
Agreed a decade ago, the project – known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline – would run 6,900 km on a hybrid offshore-onshore route with a maximum capacity of 30 billion cubic metres (bcm), including 15 bcm to supply Morocco and support exports to Europe, ONHYM’s Amina Benkhadra told Reuters by email.
The pipeline, which has the backing of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has completed its feasibility study and front-end engineering design, FEED stages.
Following the intergovernmental agreement, a high authority for the pipeline will be established in Nigeria, bringing together ministerial representatives from each of the 13 participating countries to provide political and regulatory coordination, Benkhadra said.
A project company will also be created in Morocco as a joint venture between ONHYM and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, to lead the execution, financing and construction phase, she said.
The pipeline would spur economic integration across West Africa by expanding electricity generation and facilitating industrial and mining development, while helping Morocco position itself as an energy bridge between Africa and Europe, she said.
Initial segments of the project would connect Morocco to gas fields in Mauritania and Senegal, and link Ghana to Cote d’Ivoire further south, before a final segment connects Ghana to Nigeria’s gas fields, she said.
First gas from the initial phases is expected in 2031, Benkhadra said.
“The project does not rely on a single global final investment decision,” she said, adding that each segment is designed to be developed as “standalone system” to allow for early value build up, she said.
No final funding commitments have been secured yet, she said, adding that the financing structure will be led by the project company, which will mobilise a mix of equity and debt.
“The project is attracting strong interest due to its scale, its phased structure, and its strategic positioning,” Benkhadra said.
Former Governor of Ekiti Stat, Ayodele Fayose, has refused to back down over his claim that the administration of Governor Seyi makinde of Oyo state is planning to depose the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Ladoja.
The former governor had last week claimed that the state government is planning to issue the monarch a query this week to prepare grounds for his eventual removal from the Olubadan stool, citing some rift between the governor and the monarch.
Governor Makinde and the traditional ruler had, in separate statements denied any frosty relationship exist between them, describing Fayose’s claims false with the intent to destabilize the state.
Reiterating his earlier claim in a post on X on Tuesday, the former Ekiti helmsman said more evidence has emerged that the plot is in the offing, citing the alleged involvement of the traditional ruler in the plot to impeach Governor Makinde.
Fayose said this allegation against the city’s monarch is in preparation to dethrone him. He accused the state government of orchestrating the allegation with the aim of removing Oba Ladoja from the throne of his forebears.
“Those who are still in doubt, Governor Seyi Makinde’s plot to remove the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rahidi Adewolu Ladoja, should just keep their fingers crossed and follow unfolding events,” he said.
“They denied any rift between Olubadan and Makinde after my making same public. But now, they are accusing the Olubadan of plotting to impeach Governor Makinde,” the aim is to find reason to dethrone him, the former governor said.
The magazine reports that Oba Ladoja was fingered by some lawmakers in the state House of Assembly over the the alleged plot to impeach Governor Makinde.
The traditional ruler was said to have had a meeting with the Speaker of the Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin on how to carry out the plot.
The magazine has yet to verify the facts regarding the issue.
