By: Ganiyu Olayinka
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has stepped in to make Mapo Hall in Ibadan available to the All Progressives Congress (APC) for its presidential campaign rally.
The governor acted after an online report claimed the party had been turned down by Ibadan Local Government Properties Company Limited. The report said the company’s letter gave an earlier booking by another applicant as the reason the date couldn’t be offered. Makinde has told the company’s management to release the venue to the APC. He has also told it to find a suitable alternative for the applicant who had already paid for the hall.
In a statement from his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the governor said his administration is committed to giving every political party equal access to public facilities, provided the requirements for using them are met. Makinde said that public property belongs to the people of Oyo State and should be managed openly and fairly, whichever party is asking. He argued that democracy is strongest when parties get an equal chance to put their case to voters within the law, and said his government wants a level playing field.
The governor stressed that government-owned facilities remain subject to rules and procedures covering proper use, maintenance and public order. Any party or organisation that satisfies those conditions, he said, should face no discrimination or unfair restriction. He asked political actors to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly, and called on the responsible authorities to treat requests for public venues professionally and without bias.
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