By: Sunday Ameh
The Oyo State chapter of the African Action Congress (AAC) has threatened to embark on a seven-day mass protest against what it described as Governor Seyi Makinde’s massive and deceitful land-grabbing campaign along the Ibadan Circular Road.
In a statement released on Thursday and signed by the party’s state chairman, Kayode Babayomi David, the AAC accused the Makinde-led administration of betraying public trust by allegedly dispossessing residents of their ancestral lands under the guise of road expansion, only to sell the seized property to political cronies and wealthy associates.
“We, the African Action Congress (AAC), Oyo State chapter, stand in solidarity with all victims of Makinde’s land-grabbing spree. The government’s claim of corridor expansion is nothing but a pretext for massive land theft,” the statement read.
The party alleged that the governor had initially promised to limit the road corridor to 150 meters and assured residents that no homes would be demolished, but later backtracked, demanding an additional 500 meters — a move the AAC described as “deceitful and despicable.”
“This is an act of wickedness against the poor who built their homes with pain and struggle. The government cannot continue to destroy people’s livelihoods under the pretense of development,” the statement added.
The AAC vowed to mobilize affected residents, civil society organizations, and market associations to stage a week-long protest beginning Monday, threatening to shut down Ibadan until the demolition plans are reversed.
“We will march with the people and occupy the city for seven days. Governor Makinde should focus on providing affordable housing instead of demolishing people’s homes with impunity,” the party warned.
The opposition party further called on the public to resist what it described as a “corrupt alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government and land speculators.”
“Nowhere in the world does a corridor extend 500 meters to the left and right. This is clearly an excuse for political land grabbing. The people of Oyo State must rise and defend their land,” the AAC declared.
Reaffirming its commitment to citizens’ rights, the AAC said only its party has the political will to confront “kleptocratic governance” under both the PDP and APC administrations, which it accused of enriching a few at the expense of the masses.
“The AAC remains the only political movement ready to protect the lives and property of Nigerians,” the statement concluded. “We are calling on all Oyo citizens to join us on Monday to demand: No Corridor in Ibadan!”
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