Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has suffered another round of departures from his administration following the resignation of three senior appointees.
Those who left their positions are the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Ayobami Oluwaseun Ojo; Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning, Simeon Adegbola Oyeleke; and a member of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Sunday Olugbenga Falana.
The three officials submitted their resignation letters on Monday, November 2, 2026. Their decisions took immediate effect.
Ojo communicated his resignation through a letter addressed to Makinde via the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Musibau Babatunde.
The former commissioner, who comes from Ago-Are in Atisbo Local Government Area, referred to his appointment letter dated June 22, 2026, before formally announcing his departure.
He did not give a reason for leaving the cabinet. However, he thanked Makinde for the opportunity to serve Oyo State.
Oyeleke cites uncomfortable working environment
Oyeleke also resigned as Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning in a letter dated November 2.
Unlike Ojo, he offered an explanation for his decision. He said he was no longer comfortable with the working environment in the administration.
He added that the circumstances made it difficult for him to pursue and fulfil the aspirations of his people while serving in government.
Despite his concerns, Oyeleke thanked Makinde for his leadership, encouragement and support. He also expressed appreciation for the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.
Oyeleke is a former two-term member of the Oyo State House of Assembly and a former local government chairman.
Meanwhile, Falana announced his resignation from OYSIEC in a separate letter addressed to the governor through the Chief of Staff.
The Ogbomoso-born official said his decision would take immediate effect. He did not disclose his reason but described his experience serving on the electoral commission as worthwhile.
Fresh exits add to Makinde administration’s departures
The latest resignations come weeks after other prominent officials left Makinde’s government.
The governor’s former Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, resigned in October after serving for more than five years. His departure was followed by that of Tara Adefope, former Director-General of the state’s Due Process Office.
Makinde subsequently appointed Akinwole Akinwole as Chief of Staff and Aderonke Adedayo as Director-General of the Due Process Office.
Other former appointees include ex-Special Adviser on Security Fatai Owoseni, former Advisory Council member Babatunde Oduyoye and former Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters Funmi Arulogun.
Several other officials also reportedly resigned on October 19, including Joshua Olusola Afolabi, Rebecca Oladoja Agbejimi, Noah Adeyanju and Suleiman Adegbola.
The departures have occurred amid growing political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, the resignation letters do not establish that the latest exits were connected to any political realignment.
APM dismisses concerns over political impact
Reacting to the developments, Yinka Oladoyinbo, Director-General of Media and Publicity for the Bimbo Adekanmbi Campaign Council, said the resignations would not weaken the chances of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the next election.
He argued that voters, rather than politicians alone, would determine the outcome of the election.
Oladoyinbo also described the movement of politicians between parties as a political transfer market, saying some members would leave while others would join.
He insisted that the APM remained confident about its support across Oyo State.
In a related development, Ogbomoso North Local Government Chairman Jimoh Idowu announced his resignation from the APM. He said he appreciated the opportunity to serve and pledged to hand over party documents and records to the appropriate authorities.
The developments come as OYSIEC prepares for the December 29, 2026 local government elections across Oyo State’s 33 local government areas. The commission published its final list of candidates on October 27.