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Toyyibat Qasim
Tension is growing in the Ogun State transport sector as concerned leaders of the Ogun State Parks Management (PAM) have raised the alarm over an alleged move to strip the Ogun Central Senatorial District of its sole transport management structure and transfer control to Ogun East.
The leaders, under the banner of concerned central leaders, appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun and top leaders of the All Progressives Congress for urgent intervention, warning that the dispute could spark unrest, threaten public safety and disrupt business activities if not resolved.
In a statement, the group said politically connected interests were seeking to change the existing agreement to manage parking and transportation operations in the state’s senatorial districts.
The allegation comes amid concerns over the distribution of transport management responsibilities between Ogun Central and Ogun East, with the group arguing that the arrangement is already heavily skewed in favor of the eastern district.
According to leaders, Ogun East currently has five transport union structures operating in its jurisdiction, while Ogun Central has only one.
They said the only facility allocated to Ogun Central would now be targeted for removal, with plans reportedly underway to transfer control of it to Ogun East.
The group condemned the alleged move, describing it as an attempt to upset the existing balance and warning that the transport sector should not become a battleground for political interests.
“Using the transport sector as a pawn in political maneuvering poses a serious threat to public peace, business and the livelihoods of thousands of transport operators,” the leaders warned.
They urged the state government to address the dispute before it snowballs into a larger confrontation between stakeholders.
The leaders also appealed to the APC leadership to consider the political implications of the dispute, particularly as preparations for the next election cycle gradually gather momentum.
They argued that members of the transport union had played a significant role in grassroots mobilization and election campaigns in support of the current administration, insisting that any decision perceived as marginalizing Ogun Central could spark resentment among party supporters.
The group says the dispute is not just about parking control, but also about fairness, political inclusion and maintaining party unity.
In a particularly pointed appeal, the affected central leaders urged Abiodun to consider what they described as a costly lesson arising from an earlier dispute over the distribution of park management responsibilities.
They argued that an earlier agreement dividing responsibilities and transferring control to Ogun East had been followed by the APC losing seven House of Assembly seats in the district.
The leaders also said that those in charge of transportation operations at the time had expressed confidence in their ability to achieve electoral victories, but had failed to meet those expectations.
They warned that a similar outcome could happen again if the current disagreement was not handled carefully.
However, the claim directly linking the previous transport management agreement to the party’s electoral losses was the group’s position and could not be established regardless of available information.
Transport stakeholders have called on Abiodun and senior APC leaders to intervene immediately, urging them to prevent the disagreement from escalating into a crisis.
They argued that some individuals pursued personal interests to the detriment of the collective well-being of transport operators, the ruling party and the state.
The leaders called for dialogue and a fair review of the existing agreement, stressing that decisions affecting transport unions should prioritize stability, fair representation and the protection of livelihoods.
They also warned against actions that could deepen divisions within the APC or undermine its popular support ahead of future elections.
At the time of reporting, the Ogun State government and the APC leadership had not provided a response to the allegations in the statement.
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