Makinde orders Mapo Hall released to APC after venue row
- Oyo governor Seyi Makinde has directed that Mapo Hall premises in Ibadan be released to the APC for its presidential rally.
- The venue's managers had earlier told the party the date was taken by another applicant.
- Makinde says public facilities must be open to every party that meets the rules.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been told it can use Mapo Hall in Ibadan for its presidential campaign rally, after Governor Seyi Makinde stepped in to settle a row over the venue.
The party had been turned down by the Ibadan Local Governments Properties Company Limited, which manages the historic building. In a letter signed by its Principal Executive Officer 1, Akano Musibau, the company said the requested date had already been taken by an earlier applicant.
Punch reported that President Bola Tinubu is expected in Ibadan on November 21 for the APC presidential campaign rally at Mapo Hall, with party leaders, governors and supporters from the South-West expected to attend.
Governor steps in
Makinde then directed the company to release the premises to the APC and to provide a suitable alternative venue for whoever had paid first, Tribune reported.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the governor said no party should be shut out of public facilities if it meets the conditions for using them.
He said public assets belong to the people of Oyo State and should be run openly and without favour to any party. Access, he added, follows set procedures meant to protect the facilities and keep public order.
No political party should be denied access to public facilities in Oyo State provided the established requirements for their use are duly satisfied.
Makinde also asked political actors to campaign peacefully and urged officials handling venue requests to act professionally and without bias.
Leadership reported that the earlier refusal may be tied to the governor's own presidential ambition, since it said he is running against Tinubu. That claim has not been confirmed by the state government or the venue's managers.
Why it matters
Mapo Hall is one of Ibadan's best-known public buildings, and who gets to use it has become a test of how fairly public property is shared in the run-up to the 2027 general elections.
For ordinary residents, the dispute is a reminder that campaign season brings crowds, road closures and heavy security to the city centre. Traders and commuters around Mapo should expect disruption on rally day.
The sources did not say how the alternative arrangement for the earlier applicant will work.
