S/Court judgment or not, LG autonomy won’t work unless … – Oyo Majority Leader, mocks APC ‘Unity rally’

S/Court judgment or not, LG autonomy won’t work unless … – Oyo Majority Leader, mocks APC ‘Unity rally’

In this interview by Editor FEMI OGUNLANA, the Majority Leader of Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Sanjo Onaolapo Adedoyin, fondly called “Sanjay,” speaks on the imperative of local government autonomy but observes that it is shrouded in ambiguity over clash with certain provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, which he says puts the local governments under the purview of state governments. And speaking on the forthcoming 2027 general elections, in relation to the acclaimed “Unity rally” of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) held in Ogbomoso Monday, and attended by the party’s leaders across the state, Sanjay describes the rally as “an embarrassment” saying the large crowd was a deceit, “It was made up of people from Ibadan and other zones.” He affirms the Ogbomoso people are firmly with the PDP. He reacts to other germane issues including his ambition for 2027, the inner roads in Ogbomoso among others. Excerpts:

Why do you think the state governors are defying the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy?

It is shrouded in ambiguity, especially the constitutional provision does not guarantee autonomy for the local government. It goes beyond sentiment; fine, most of us are products of local government administration, myself, I have served in local government, and with the experience I had there, I always believe that having autonomy in the third tier of government is the best for the people in the grassroots but as is presently constituted, the Nigerian constitution does not support it. Look at the constitutional provision, when you follow the constitutional provision, section 4 of the constitution talks about legislature, when it mentions the legislature, it specifically mentions the Senate, House of Reps and House of Assembly, and it highlights the role to be played, the limitations of each of the Houses. The section 5 talks about the Executive, the federal executive headed by the president, the state executive to be headed by the governor, the next section is that of the Judiciary. Now, Section 7 talks about local government, the introductory part is the first ambiguity as it says something like (I may not be able to quote rightly), the state will make provision for local government administration, so, when it is talking about states, it says there will be 36 states in the federation, it highlights them, it says the states will make provision for local government administration, and they will determine through their Houses of Assembly, the structure, the composition, the financing the personnel and so many other things.

Was the constitution especially that aspect recently amended?

No.

Why then was local government autonomy implemented to the letter at the beginning of this Republic, 1999?

You know that we were just coming from military administration then, most of the governors didn’t know their rights very well, most of them couldn’t even interpret properly most of the provisions of the constitution very well then, but as time rolls when most of the governors, most of the honourables, get to master the constitution very well, they started to exploit that provision.

Does that mean the Supreme Court also missed something when it gave judgment in favour of local government autonomy that it should be implemented?

There has to be comprehensive amendment of the constitution.

But didn’t the Supreme Court base its judgment on that – the constitution?

That is where the ambiguity is. Supreme Court gave a judgment but the ground norm, which is the constitution, made that provision and that is where the governors are hiding. This is the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and it supersedes any other thing.

So, for local government autonomy to be implemented the National Assembly needs to initiate the amendment of that aspect of the constitution?

Exactly. The National Assembly needs to initiate the process of comprehensive amendment of the constitution, pass it to the state assemblies for us to do concurrent legislation on it. They will list it in the constitution that there are 776 local governments in Nigeria, not that the state will make provision, the constitution has to make provision not the states (as is presently provided). If you make provision for something, it is under your control and the states assemblies have to legislate. We are the only authority that can approve autonomy for local government.

So, we still have a long way to go.

Yes, we have a long way to go.

As a legislator, as the Majority Leader in the Oyo State House of Assembly, are you satisfied with what is happening at the local government level in terms of development?

It depends on the way you see it. Of course, it may not be the best way we want it but presently what we are advocating for is development, to have good roads, to have infrastructural facilities, and going by what the state has recorded starting from Ibadan, all the inner roads in Ibadan are all rehabilitated by the state, now we are coming to Ogbomoso, they are starting this January …

You are sure?

Yes now, I am very, very sure. I am very sure before the completion of the first half of this year, all the inner roads in Ogbomoso will be motorable and that is what we are advocating for, it is what everybody desires.

And are you assuring the people of good quality of work?

Of course, we will get that.

Will those in the other three local governments in Ogbomoso also benefit in the future?

It is one after the other. We will accommodate their own interests too.

The road through your residence is in a state of disrepair, one would have expected it is listed among the roads to be constructed or rehabilitated, why?

I told people those roads listed have more economic value than this. Will you compare this to the Oke-Alapata road, the Jango Market road and so on? Those roads are more important than this, but every year I personally try to put this road in shape (workmen were seen breaking rocks and leveling the road).

2027 is around the corner, what should the people of Ogbomoso South expect from the Majority Leader – Hon Sanjo Adedoyin, or perhaps the people of Ogbomoso federal constituency or of the Oyo North senatorial district?

They should expect continuous advocacy for good governance.

I mean in term of elective post?

When we get there, we will know, we are still consulting.

What is the state of the PDP viz a viz what is happening in the country? Will the party survive in Oyo state?

That is another issue, there are internal spoilers who are working for opposition to destroy PDP for the bigger interest of the opposition but we will get there. But the party is just a structure to express your interest, if not PDP there will be another party, definitely the opposition will use a platform.

The APC people, they held a “unity rally” in Ogbomoso last Monday, does that scare you in the PDP?

How can that scare me? We are dealing with the people of the grassroots, and the outcome of their so-called rally was an embarrassment especially in Ogbomoso zone, it was a big embarrassment because they all realized Ogbomoso people are not with them …

But the place was jampacked …

Jampacked with the people that came from Ibadan and other zones, they knew Ogbomoso people were not there. It was obvious, it was an embarrassment to them, even Oyo that is smaller to Ogbomoso, was more thronged by indigenes than what they had in Ogbomoso here. So, everybody knows that with what the governor is doing the grassroots is solidly behind Governor Seyi Makinde.

Part of workers’ agitation now is that will the incoming government continue with the prompt payment of salaries on the 25th of the month, can there be a kind of legislation that stipulates payment of salaries on the 25th of every month?

Of course, we may legislate on it but one thing is this there are certain things that have to be determined by the administration. The issue of payment of salaries, and other emoluments is something that the state has to consider when there is availability of funds. This present government just sees it as a priority, another government may come and not see it that way, even if there is a provision for it in the constitution, they may just give an excuse that well, there is no fund. Of course, there may not be fund anytime, but what you do is determined by your priority.

Sometimes last year the Oyo State House of Assembly considered the issue of Traditional Council in the state, why is it that we have not heard anything about it again?

Well, well, we are getting there, the state government has called them together, what is delaying it as I understand is how who will be the first to serve as the rotational chairman, but they are trying to resolve that one, it is with the executive, we have done our own bit on it, we passed the bill, it has become law, it has been assented.

You recently provided a football goal post to Ogbomoso High School, you have done similar things in some other public schools, what is motivating you?

Just to encourage the youths not to be idle, to support them to be creative and help them know we are part of them.

How do you cope with the pressure that comes with being in office or of being a community leader in terms of demand for money by the people and so on?

We are used to it, and I am always a very frank person, I tell people what I can do, and what I cannot do, I don’t collect any allocation, I am not in the executive, I depend on my little salary, and whatever I can use it to support I will do it. But anything you bring that is outside my ability I will sincerely tell people, I don’t tell lies, what I cannot do I will not say I will do because whatever you say has become a burden on you.

What message do you have for your supporters and the people of Ogbomoso?

I wish everybody a prosperous 2026, pray for God’s guidance, God’s support, and they should be looking forward to good deliveries from the state government. And I want to add this that their own civil responsibilities too, they should do it, they should be law abiding, the state government will not relent in its determination to give the people of Oyo state development even to the last man on the street.