Oyo Assembly clarifies N300bn loan breakdown, says Shittu misled public and failed as a lawmaker with no bills, no motions, and absentee record.
The Oyo State House of Assembly has issued a firm and strongly-worded rebuttal to allegations made by Hon. Ibrahim Shittu, the lawmaker representing Saki West State Constituency, over claims that the legislature secretly approved a N300 billion loan request from the Executive without due notification to members.
Shittu had publicly alleged that the emergency plenary session convened on August 19, 2025, was a covert move by the House leadership to rubber-stamp the Executive’s loan request.
However, the Assembly leadership has now dismissed his comments as outright falsehoods, describing them as misleading and politically motivated.
In a joint statement signed by the Majority Leader, Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin, and the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Media, Public Affairs and ICT, Hon. Waheed Akintayo (popularly known as Ilumoka), the legislature clarified that the emergency plenary was duly and officially communicated to all members of the 10th Assembly.
Evidence provided by the leadership included a screenshot of the notice sent via the Assembly’s official communication platform, showing that members had been informed ahead of time.
Some lawmakers even acknowledged receipt of the message before the plenary.
“It is not only unfortunate but deeply embarrassing that a sitting lawmaker would attempt to misinform the public in such a manner.
“Emergency plenary sessions are not illegal. They are constitutional provisions used by legislatures across Nigeria, including the National Assembly, to address urgent state matters,” the statement declared.
Addressing the core of the allegation, the Assembly clarified that Shittu deliberately misrepresented the N300 billion loan request.
According to the statement, the facility was not entirely new borrowing as alleged, but a mix of refinancing and fresh funds.
Out of the N300 billion, N149 billion was allocated for refinancing an existing loan facility with the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
Only N151 billion represented a fresh request, specifically targeted at infrastructure development and contractors’ financing across Oyo State.
By failing to acknowledge this distinction, the Assembly said, Shittu either displayed gross ignorance of financial processes or intentionally chose to mislead his constituents.
Beyond addressing the loan controversy, the House leadership also took the opportunity to highlight Shittu’s poor record as a legislator.
According to verified attendance data, Shittu has attended only 20 per cent of plenary sessions since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly, making him the least active member.
The statement noted that he has consistently absented himself from critical sessions, including the governor’s presentation of the annual budget and the State of the State Address.
He also failed to participate in the recently concluded statewide oversight visits to executive and local government projects.
“While his colleagues devoted time and effort to inspect government projects across all local government areas, Hon. Shittu was nowhere to be found.
“His absenteeism extends to oversight duties and committee assignments, where he contributes little or nothing of value,” the Assembly stated.
The Assembly further lamented that Shittu has failed to live up to the responsibilities entrusted to him by the people of Saki West.
Since assuming office, he has neither sponsored a single bill nor raised any substantive motion on the floor of the House. His contributions during debates are either absent or negligible.
“It is clear that Hon. Shittu has abandoned his legislative duties. He has failed to champion the needs of his constituents, failed to contribute to policy debates, and failed to participate in oversight.
“Instead of hiding his incompetence behind baseless allegations, he should redirect his energy towards becoming a functional legislator,” the statement added.
Reiterating its commitment to transparency, accountability, and legislative excellence, the Oyo State House of Assembly assured the public that it would continue to conduct its affairs with integrity.
It urged citizens to ignore the “politically motivated antics” of non-performing lawmakers who are seeking cheap popularity at the expense of truth.
“The Oyo State House of Assembly remains steadfast in its mission to serve the people through effective lawmaking, oversight, and representation.
“The public is advised to disregard Shittu’s fabricated claims, which are nothing more than a desperate attempt to mask his failures,” the statement concluded.