Seyi Makinde Under Fire As Inferno Destroys Oyo Market, Details Emerge

• The Oyo state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed Governor Seyi Makinde over a recent fire incident that ravaged the popular Aleshiloye market in Ibadan
• APC lamented incessant losses of lives and properties of residents of the state, blaming the cause on negligence on the part of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government
• A statement by the spokesperson of the APC in Oyo state, Olawale Sadare, urged Makinde to 'admit his failure'

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics and governance.

Ibadan, Oyo state - The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo has expressed concern over the alleged frequent loss of lives and property among residents of the state.

The Oyo chapter of the APC stated that the infernos were "as a result of incompetence, ineptitude and negligence" on the part of the Seyi Makinde-led administration, adding that the governor should "admit his failure and brace up to arrest the ugly situation."

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APC's condemnation came against the background of the inferno which ravaged the popular Aleshinloye market in Ibadan on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

The midnight fire, which raged for several hours, resulted in the loss of property and other valuable materials estimated at millions of naira. The APC lamented that in recent times, similar cases happened in Oyo state under the Makinde administration.

Over 70 shops were ravaged by fire at the popular Aleshinloye market in Ibadan, Oyo state on Tuesday, March 11.

The incident, which happened around 10:15 pm, has left traders at the market devastated as they continued to count their losses as of Wednesday evening, March 12.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, March 12, and made available to Legit.ng by its spokesperson, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC said:

"Our thoughts and prayers are with many traders and others in the popular Aleshinloye market who lost so much in money and property as a result of the unfortunate Tuesday night fire incident even as such cases have become a recurring decimal across the state in recent times.

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"While we sympathise with all the victims, there is a dire need to challenge the Makinde administration on their approach to issues of safety, accident prevention and management in the state.

The APC added:

"We appeal to Governor Makinde to empower the state fire service department and ensure that adequate manpower is available for its operations in every part of the state.

"It is equally important for the state to prioritise safety measures such as orientation and education of members of the public on how to prevent fire incidents everywhere at all times. Also, we demand detailed information on the 10 fire fighting trucks believed to have been paid for and imported from Turkey in 2020 while measures must be put in place to arrest the unabated trend of inferno and related disasters in the state."

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Meanwhile, a member of the Federation of Ibadan Students Union (FIBSU), Kayode Yussuf Sadiq, offered advice following the inferno.

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In an interview with Legit.ng, Yussuf said the blame cannot be put entirely on the Makinde-led government.

He said:

"To me, the APC spokesperson did not pinpoint anything against that suggested government's error as regards the inferno.

"Fire incident is just an unfortunate situation. Though some do call it a natural disaster, it happens so often during the dry season in big markets in Nigeria.

"The market leaders need lots of sensitisation for their people on how to manage fire and electricity to avoid inferno. Government can assist with the wider publicity too."

Oyo APC attacks Makinde over 'hijack of LG allocations'

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the APC in Oyo said a lot of pressure was being mounted on its elected officials, federal appointees, and "privileged members by the masses".

The party linked the purported pressure to the alleged stifling of the 33 local government councils by Governor Makinde and urged residents of the state to demand accountability for the council funds since May 2019.

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According to the APC, there are indications that the joint account arrangement between the state government and the 33 local government areas (LGAs) has hindered the effective performance of the third tier of government.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng