The Oyo State Government has protested the exclusion of Governor Seyi Makinde from the official flag-off ceremony for the reconstruction and dualisation of the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu flagged off the 56.5-kilometre project on Monday at Idi Ayunre in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The project is expected to improve transportation links between Oyo and Ogun states while supporting commercial activity and addressing longstanding concerns over the condition and security of the route.
However, the ceremony triggered a political controversy after Makinde was not included among the officials attending the event.
Those present included Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Minister of Works David Umahi, the APC governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
The Oyo State Government subsequently accused the Federal Government of deliberately sidelining Makinde at an event involving a major federal road project located within the state.
Oyo Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, described the development as unfortunate and suggested that partisan political considerations may have influenced the arrangement.
The state government argued that the importance of the road project should have taken precedence over political differences, particularly because the project directly affects residents and businesses in Oyo State.
Oyelade also linked the development to the growing political contest ahead of the 2027 elections, saying the exclusion reflected what the state government considered an unnecessary politicisation of a major infrastructure project.
The Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode corridor is strategically important because it connects communities and commercial centres across the South-West.
The road is also expected to improve access between Ibadan and Ogun communities and facilitate movement towards the Lagos axis.
The controversy surrounding the flag-off comes at a politically sensitive time, with national parties already intensifying preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The Federal Government has not, in the reports reviewed, issued a statement confirming that Makinde’s exclusion was politically motivated.
The development nevertheless adds another layer to the increasingly competitive political relationship between the APC-controlled Federal Government and political actors in Oyo State.