The Governorship Candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Oyo State, Sikiru Titilola-Sodo has pledged to implement Local Government autonomy in the state if elected in the forthcoming 2027 General Election.
Titilola-Sodo made the commitment while speaking at a forum organised by the Oyo State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The AA Governorship Candidate criticised state Governors for what he described as interference in Local Government administration, despite a Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy for the third tier of government.
He said; “the Nigerian Constitution recognises three tiers of government – Federal, State and Local -but alleged that many state governments had failed to respect the constitutional status and financial independence of Local councils.”
Titilola-Sodo cited Section 162 of the Constitution and said local governments should have direct access to their statutory allocations to enable them to provide basic services and drive development.
Titilola-Sodo also unveiled plans to establish at least one cottage industry in each of the 33 Local Government Areas of the state to support agricultural processing, create rural jobs and increase farmers’ earnings, particularly in Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa and Ogbomoso.
The AA Governorship Candidate proposed a matching-grant scheme under which farmer groups would contribute about half of the cost of establishing processing facilities, while government provides the remaining half.
Titilola-Sodo, who served as a Special Adviser on Labour Matters to Governor Seyi Makinde, said his previous role exposed him to the workings of the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), through which local government allocations are administered.
On education, he stated that many primary and secondary schools across Oyo State were in poor physical condition and required urgent government intervention, promising to rehabilitate dilapidated school buildings and construct new facilities, if elected.
Titilola-Sodo ruled out stepping down for the Allied People’s Movement (APM) Governorship Candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, despite Adekanmbi’s reported relationship with Governor Makinde, saying he remained committed to contesting the 2027 election.
He said he was among those who helped develop the policies and ideas behind the Makinde administration, maintaining that he would not support Adekanmbi’s candidacy.
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