Iyaloja-General: Groups raise alarm over illegal election, seek Makinde’s urgent intervention 

Secretaries of cluster market groups under the umbrella body of Oyo state Market Leaders Council have raised the alarm in a save our soul message to the Governor, Seyi Makinde, over an illegal election conducted into the office of the Iyaloja-General of Oyo state.

Secretary of Ibadan Joint Traders Association, Mallam Zakariyah Kamil Ariyo made this known to journalists on Friday May 12, on behalf of all secretaries of cluster market groups in the state.

The purported election was held at the conference room of the ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment, and Cooperatives on Wednesday May 5, 2023.

According to Mallam Ariyo, the illegal election was targeted at imposing Alhaja Saratu Aduke as the Iyaloja-General of Oyo contrary to the zoning arrangement of the association.

The Secretaries in their message disclosed that the various cluster market group chairmen who attended the purported election acted in their individual capacities which does not represent the interest or position of the Oyo state market leaders council.

They averred that the chairmen do not have any constitutional rights, power or authority to in their personal capacities unilaterally take any decision on behalf of the traders association in general without the secretaries.

According to the save our soul message to the governor, the secretary described the purported election as fake, illegal, unconstitutional, and an effort in nullity stressing that no single individual in any organization or association could unilaterally take binding decisions without counterpart approval from the secretary of such body.

They explained that the Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment, and Cooperatives as well as the Special Assistant to the Governor were not in attendance or any other government authority to give validity to whatever election held at the ministry, and as such, the purported election remains null and void.

They therefore, call on the governor, Seyi Makinde to immediately step in on the matter before the issue escalates and degenerates into another round of crisis in the state.

“On behalf of the traders in Oyo state we appeal to His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde to urgently look into this brewing crisis which if not immediately nipped in the bud could animosity and acrimonious relationship within the association in the state.” The Secretaries stated.