Hundreds of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State staged a protest in Ibadan on Monday, voicing their opposition to what they described as the intimidation of Honourable Ibrahim Shittu, representing Saki West state constituency. The protest was triggered by Shittu's strong stance against the approval of a N300 billion loan requested by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration in the state. The demonstration commenced at the APC secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, and concluded at the Mokola roundabout in Ibadan North Local Government Area, with participants expressing concerns over the state's escalating debt profile.

The protesters specifically cautioned the leadership of the state House of Assembly against any attempts to intimidate the APC member for his position on the recently approved loan. Honourable Shittu had previously challenged the constitutionality of the N300 billion loan approval, arguing that it was sanctioned by fewer than two-thirds of the Assembly members. He further asserted that the House did not convene as claimed for the purpose of approving this particular loan request.

In response to Honourable Shittu's allegations, the Oyo State House of Assembly issued a statement refuting his claims. The statement, jointly signed by the Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin, and the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Media, Public Affairs and ICT, Waheed Akintayo, maintained that the loan was indeed approved at a plenary session by a majority of the members in attendance. They emphasized that the approval process was transparent and not conducted in secrecy, contrary to the lawmaker's assertions.

Mr. Olayide Abas, the chairman of the APC in Oyo State, also weighed in on the issue, criticizing the current administration's growing debt. Abas contended that there was no legitimate reason for the state's increasing debt, especially given the enhanced monthly allocations from the Federation Account. He argued that if the funds from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) were managed effectively, there would be no necessity for the government to seek additional loans, whether domestic or international. Abas declared that the people of Oyo State were dissatisfied with the PDP administration and that the APC presented the only viable alternative, vowing that the party would prevent the PDP from