Akintayo Challenges Arapaja to Identify Constituents Who Benefited From His Years in Public Office
The Executive Chairman of Ibadan North-East Local Government, Hon. Engr. Ibrahim Akintayo, popularly known as OMUYES, has challenged Ambassador Taofeek Oladejo Arapaja to identify residents who benefited directly from his years in public office.
Akintayo, who also serves as Director-General of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) Campaign Council in Ibadan North-East, said political influence should be demonstrated through verifiable grassroots support and tangible benefits delivered to the people.
In a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, October 15, 2026, the council chairman called on Arapaja to provide details of the constituents who benefited from his tenure as a member of the House of Representatives, Deputy Governor of Oyo State and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Jordan.
“We want names, not political noise,” Akintayo said, challenging the former ambassador to identify beneficiaries of his various public assignments, particularly residents of Ibadan North-East.
The APM chieftain also questioned claims surrounding Arapaja’s political influence in the local government, demanding that he publicly identify the people he had mobilised and disclose their ward affiliations and grassroots structures.
“Let Arapaja show us the people he claims to have brought under his control. Who are they? Where are their structures? What wards do they represent? Let the people see their faces and judge for themselves,” he said.
Akintayo’s comments followed reports that members of Team Arapaja and the Bayo Adelabu Foundation had moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He dismissed suggestions that the development represented a major political shift in Ibadan North-East, claiming that those involved were already APC members who had merely changed their political allegiance.
He argued that the reported movement should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a major expansion of Arapaja’s political base, insisting that claims of grassroots influence should be supported by verifiable evidence.
The council chairman also questioned Arapaja’s record of political affiliations, recalling his association with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the APC and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
According to Akintayo, the PDP provided the platform through which Arapaja held several political and public offices, including membership of the House of Representatives and the position of Deputy Governor of Oyo State.
He further recalled the 2019 governorship election in Oyo State, when Governor Seyi Makinde won on the PDP platform while Arapaja was associated with the ADC.
Akintayo maintained that Makinde subsequently demonstrated political magnanimity by helping Arapaja regain political relevance despite their political differences at the time.
“A man like that cannot lecture our youths on loyalty or political direction,” he said, criticising what he described as inconsistencies in Arapaja’s political journey.
Turning to the 2027 general elections, the Ibadan North-East chairman said voters would increasingly assess political leaders and parties based on their records, the policies they implemented and the benefits delivered to communities.
He also argued that young people, who constitute a significant segment of the electorate, would be particularly concerned about economic hardship and the practical impact of government policies on their livelihoods.
“This is an election that the youths will decide in a major way. They are the largest part of our voters and the most affected by the economic realities of this country. They will not be swayed by noise or recycled promises,” Akintayo said.
He contrasted the economic difficulties experienced by Nigerians under the APC-led Federal Government with what he described as the benefits of programmes implemented by the Oyo State Government under Governor Makinde and the administration in Ibadan North-East.
Akintayo also expressed confidence in the APM’s preparations for the 2027 elections, saying the party would continue its grassroots mobilisation across Oyo State.
He said the party’s governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, would seek the support of voters interested in sustaining what the APM describes as the developmental gains recorded under the present state administration.
The APM chieftain reiterated that political leaders should be prepared to account for their time in public office, adding that voters should be able to assess claims of political influence against identifiable structures and tangible outcomes.
...For the latest news update, Subscribe to our Whatsapp Channel (Click Here) and join our Telegram Update Group (Click Here)
You can also advertise your Product and Services on our page for more patronage
Contact us today by sending your Stories, Articles, Events, and Eyewitness Reports for publications as well as products and services for advertisement to westerndailies2018@gmail.com or WhatsApp (+2348058448531) for more information
