The former Chairman of the Ekiti State Microcredit and Enterprise Development Agency, Akogun Abayomi Olumide, has alleged that his removal by Governor Biodun Oyebanji was politically motivated.
Naijaonpoint reports that Olumide, who was relieved of his duties last Sunday, told journalists at a press conference in Ado Ekiti that his sack had nothing to do with corruption, as claimed by the governor, but was linked to his support for a governorship aspirant, Kayode Ojo, ahead of the 2026 Ekiti governorship election.
Governor Oyebanji had, in a statement on Sunday, announced Olumide’s removal, accusing him of “gross misconduct and dereliction of duty.”
The government said the decision was part of efforts to instil discipline and accountability in public service.
Reacting, Olumide dismissed the governor’s claims and insisted that his ouster was purely political.
He maintained that his decision to back Kayode Ojo for governor remained firm, describing Ojo’s candidacy as a beacon of hope for Ekiti people.
Olumide explains further on the corruption allegation against him, “The CBN said the agency should recover funds amounting to 1.6 billion. But along the line, we met bottlenecks. Politicians were interfering, saying the money was not disbursed by us. Because of these obstacles, we decided to stop and recommended that those who issued the money should be responsible for the recovery.
“So, in view of that, we continued with our own mandate. Later, we read in the news that the state government released 500 million to a microfinance company that had just opened in Ekiti. We wanted to understand the modus operandi and how they intended to disburse the funds.
“We discovered it was meant to be a counterpart arrangement. But the Lagos microfinance company’s contribution was not forthcoming. Our board even held a virtual meeting with them, but they told us the MOU signed with the state did not include our agency.
“That means we were completely sidelined. People outside were asking me, as the chairman of the Ekiti microfinance agency, about the disbursement. I told them we had no hand in it. That was the beginning of the loggerhead.
“At that point, I even considered resigning but board members persuaded me to be patient. We wanted to see the governor and report the situation, but there was no access.
“So, I concluded there were shady dealings within the agency which were not known to me as chairman. The public was not benefiting from the disbursement. That’s why I stopped going to the office and made my intention to resign clear. I even prepared my resignation letter.
“However, on Saturday night, I heard on the radio that I had been relieved of my position for “gross misconduct and dereliction of duty.” They asked me to hand over properties in my care. But I had no office property, I didn’t sign cheques, I didn’t disburse money, and no funds were allocated to the agency. So, I don’t know what I was supposed to surrender, my personal vehicle, my house, or my wife’s car?
“I believe politics is a matter of choice, not force. As a citizen, I have the right to support anyone I choose. But because I supported Kayode Ojo, I was victimized.
“I am supporting Kayode Ojo because I no longer have confidence in Oyebanji’s leadership. Kayode Ojo is a man of impeccable character, who has managed businesses and created jobs for many people.”
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