The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has accused Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of seeking to plunge the state into financial crisis with a proposed N100 billion loan allegedly intended to fund the 2027 elections.
The organisation described the planned borrowing as fiscal irresponsibility and political desperation, warning that it could saddle the incoming administration with a heavy debt burden.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, SSACO faulted the speed with which the Oyo State House of Assembly approved the loan, alleging that the move was designed to mortgage the state’s future for political interests.
“There is no doubt that the proposed borrowing was not driven by any genuine developmental consideration but by a desperate political agenda to finance the 2027 elections and sustain Governor Makinde’s increasingly uncertain political ambition,” the statement said.
SSACO alleged that the governor was determined to accumulate more debt despite having about seven months left in office, insisting that the state’s resources should not be deployed to fund his presidential ambition or succession plans.
The organisation also questioned the economic justification for the proposed loan, arguing that the administration should focus on responsible governance and ensure a financially stable handover in May 2027.
It said the borrowing was not primarily intended to improve roads, healthcare, education or job creation, but suspected that it would be used to finance elections and sustain the governor’s political structure.
The campaign organisation further criticised the state House of Assembly for approving borrowing requests without what it considered adequate scrutiny, urging lawmakers to prioritise public interest over the executive’s demands.
“The House of Assembly must understand that its constitutional responsibility is to protect the interests of the people, not merely to provide legislative cover for the financial excesses of the executive,” the statement said.
SSACO warned that legislative approval alone could not guarantee that a borrowing decision was economically justified, transparent or beneficial to residents.
The organisation said the All Progressives Congress (APC) would resist any attempt to turn public borrowing into a financial war chest for partisan political activities.
It added that the state’s creditworthiness and resources must not be treated as the personal property of any governor or political party, warning that debts incurred by the outgoing administration could burden residents for years.
SSACO also dismissed the prospect of Makinde securing the presidency or installing his preferred successor through financial spending, insisting that voters would determine the outcome of the 2027 elections.
“He cannot borrow his way into the presidency, neither can he borrow his preferred candidate into the Government House in Agodi,” the statement said.
The organisation put the governor, lawmakers and prospective lenders on notice that the next administration would have the responsibility and right to subject questionable financial commitments to lawful scrutiny.
It, however, did not provide evidence in the statement to substantiate its allegation that the proposed loan was intended to finance the 2027 elections.
SSACO urged Makinde to halt what it described as reckless borrowing and prepare to hand over a financially viable state in May 2027.
“The people of Oyo State will not forgive any deliberate attempt to sacrifice their future on the altar of political desperation,” the statement concluded.
