By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan
Oyo State governorship candidate of opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke, has promised the people of Ibarapa geopolitcal zone of the state that he will end the blackout they have been suffering from for years by ensuring rural electrification.
Adegoke, who was speaking in Igbo-Ora during a visit to the people of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North, said, when voted into office next year as the Governor of Oyo State, he would provide the entire Ibarapaland with solar farm that would generate electricity for the zone.
He disclosed that to ensure constant supply of electricity, he would take Ibarapa off the national grid with its epileptic power supply, and would stabilise the area with electricity generated from the solar farm.
The candidate said the provision of rural electrification would also enhance security, noting that the implementation of Local Government (LG) autonomy would lead to the empowerment of traditional rulers, which he said would help in securing their domains.
He further said he would provide farmers with modern farming equipment and high yield seeds which would result in higher produce from their farms.
Olooye Adegoke said he was trained at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife as an Agric Economist and, therefore, assured farmers that he knew their needs and would provide them with the necessary resources and support immediately he assumes office as the State Governor.
He maintained that farmers would also be given loans through their various cooperative societies, as part of the dividends of democracy.
Speaking earlier, ADC Youth Leader in Ibarapa Central, Mr. Ayodele Olanlere, had requested from the guber candidate the provision of stable electricity supply and economic opportunities for the people of Ibarapa Central.
Olanlere further demanded the provision of healthcare assistance as well as free education for the youth.
He appreciated Olooye Adegoke on the promise of rural electrification, saying he was optimistic of him fulfilling his promise.
Don’t Divert €55m French Loan –APC Guber Candidate Sharafadeen Alli Warns Makinde
Meanwhile, the campaign team of governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has raised concerns over alleged planned utilisation of a €55 million French Government concessional loan secured by the Oyo State government, warning Gov. Seyi Makinde against diverting the facility to projects it described as politically-motivated.
According to a statement, the organisation said the loan, valued at approximately N85 billion, should be used strictly to rehabilitate and equip the state’s deteriorating healthcare facilities, rather than fund hurried projects, “as the Makinde-led administration approaches the end of its tenure.”
According to the campaign organisation, the loan repayment was expected to begin under the next administration, making the facility a significant financial obligation for the people of Oyo State beyond Makinde’s tenure.
“It has come to our notice that Governor Makinde has constituted a committee to design how the money will be swiftly spent under the guise of executing some projects four months to the general election and eight months to the end of his government,” the organisation said.
It alleged that the timing of the proposed expenditure had raised questions about the government’s intentions, particularly amid preparations for the 2027 general elections and what it described as Makinde’s presidential ambition.
The group also linked the loan to wider concerns over the state’s borrowing profile, recalling that the State House of Assembly approved the governor’s request in June for a N200 billion bond to refinance existing debts.
“Coming at an election season, a cloud of doubt hangs over the sincerity of the Makinde-led government on these hurriedly conceived and ill-thought-out financial decisions that will further increase the already heavy burden imposed on the state since he assumed office in 2019,” it said.
The Alli Campaign Organisation further argued that increased allocations to the state and its 33 LGs, following the removal of the petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, should provide greater fiscal room for government to address pressing needs without resorting to “questionable borrowing or hurried expenditure.”
It said monthly allocations had quadrupled over the past three-and-a-half years, describing the increased revenue as an opportunity for State and LGs to cushion the effects of subsidy removal.
While stating that it would support any genuine effort to improve healthcare delivery in Oyo, the organisation demanded full disclosure of the French loan arrangements.
It specifically called for the publication of the loan’s terms, disbursement schedule, contractors, procurement processes, implementation timelines and the hospitals that would benefit from the facility.
“Oyo State citizens and residents deserve to know how every euro will be spent,” the statement said, warning against inflated contracts, rushed procurement processes, questionable consultancy fees or projects that could be used primarily to support political activities.
The campaign organisation also urged the Makinde administration not to enter into opaque contracts or commence projects that could not be completed and independently verified before the government leaves office.
It called on the Oyo State House of Assembly, civil society organisations, professional healthcare bodies and the media to scrutinise the utilisation of the loan.
According to the group, healthcare investments should produce tangible improvements for residents, including functional hospitals, trained medical personnel, essential medicines and modern medical equipment.
“The people of Oyo State need functional hospitals, trained medical personnel, essential medicines, modern equipment and accessible healthcare—not cosmetic renovations, abandoned structures or projects existing only in government publicity materials,” it cautioned.
The campaign organisation maintained that transparency and measurable public value should guide borrowing by government, arguing that loans contracted in the name of Oyo residents must translate into sustainable benefits for them.
The campaign body added that it would continue to scrutinise the deployment of state resources and hold the Makinde administration accountable for what it described as “curious expenditure”.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Olooye Adegoke (with mic) speaking to people of Ibarapa zone.
