A political dispute has erupted in Nigeria’s Oyo State following plans to name a housing project in honor of late federal lawmaker Musliudeen Olaide Akinremi, igniting tensions between the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and the state government. The controversy centers on allegations of land misuse and political opportunism ahead of a critical bye-election.
Akinremi, a two-term APC representative for Ibadan North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, died recently, creating a vacancy set to be filled in an August 16 special election. The Oyo State government, led by Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), announced plans to commission a housing estate named after the late legislator. However, the APC has accused the governor of exploiting Akinremi’s legacy to legitimize what it calls a “fraudulent” land conversion scheme.
In a statement issued Wednesday by its publicity secretary, Wasiu Olawale Sadare, the APC condemned the project as an “afterthought” designed to obscure the alleged privatization of the state-owned Trans Amusement Park in Ibadan. The party claimed the site, originally a public recreational space, is being repurposed into upscale residential estates for private sale. “Erecting a gatehouse on public land earmarked for sale does not qualify as a credible government project,” Sadare said, dismissing the planned commissioning as a publicity stunt.
The APC further criticized the decision to name the development after Akinremi, arguing the late lawmaker had already secured his legacy through community empowerment initiatives and infrastructure projects during his tenure. Describing the move as “dancing on his grave,” the party accused Governor Makinde of leveraging the naming rights for political gain ahead of the upcoming bye-election, which will determine control of the vacant parliamentary seat.
The governor’s office has yet to publicly respond to the allegations. Local observers note the dispute underscores broader tensions in Oyo State, where the ruling PDP and opposition APC have clashed repeatedly over land use policies and development priorities. The Trans Amusement Park, located in a rapidly urbanizing area of Ibadan, has been at the center of multiple legal and political battles since plans for its redevelopment surfaced in 2022.
With campaigning for the August vote intensifying, the controversy has drawn attention to questions about posthumous honors and the ethical use of public resources. Akinremi’s constituents, meanwhile, await clarity on the housing project’s status and the broader implications for community access to recreational spaces. As the APC vowed to “resist any attempt to erase Akinremi’s genuine contributions through hollow gestures,” the clash highlights the intersection of legacy politics and urban development in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving democratic landscape.
