2027: State Governor’s Commissioner, Two Aides Resign

Three appointees of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde have resigned from their positions, adding to the growing number of officials leaving the administration ahead of the 2027 elections.

The latest departures are the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Ayobami Ojo; the Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning, Adegbola Oyeleke; and a member of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Sunday Falana.

Ojo submitted his resignation in a letter addressed to Makinde through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde. Referring to his appointment letter dated June 22, 2026, he said his resignation would take immediate effect.

Although he did not state why he was leaving the cabinet, Ojo thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and the confidence placed in him.

Oyeleke, a former two-term member of the state House of Assembly and former local government chairman, also announced his departure in a letter dated November 2, 2026.

He said he had become uncomfortable with the working environment in the administration, adding that the circumstances had made it difficult for him to pursue and fulfil the aspirations of his constituents effectively.

However, he expressed gratitude to Makinde for his support, leadership and the opportunity to contribute to the government’s policies and development programmes.

Falana, who is from Ogbomoso, also resigned from OYSIEC with immediate effect. In his letter to the governor, submitted through the Chief of Staff, he did not disclose his reason for leaving but appreciated the opportunity to serve on the state’s electoral body.

Reacting to the development, Yinka Oladoyinbo of the Bimbo Adekanmbi Campaign Council said the resignations would not affect the chances of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the next election. He maintained that voters, rather than politicians switching political allegiances, would determine the outcome of the governorship contest.

The latest resignations follow the October departures of Makinde’s former Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, and the former Director-General of the Due Process Office, Tara Adefope. The governor subsequently appointed Akinwole Akinwole as Chief of Staff and Aderonke Adedayo to head the Due Process Office.

Other former officials who have left the administration include former Commissioner of Police and Special Adviser on Security, Fatai Owoseni; former Advisory Council member, Babatunde Oduyoye; and former Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, Funmi Arulogun.

Several other appointees, including Joshua Olusola Afolabi, Rebecca Oladoja Agbejimi, Noah Adeyanju and Suleiman Adegbola, also resigned on October 19.

In a related development, Ogbomoso North Local Government Chairman, Jimoh Idowu, announced his resignation from the APM in a letter to the party’s local government executives on Monday. He thanked the party for the opportunity to serve and pledged to hand over its documents and assets to the appropriate authorities.

The developments come as OYSIEC prepares for the December 29, 2026 local government elections across the state’s 33 local government areas. The commission published its final list of candidates on October 27.