Toyyibat Qasim
Tension is mounting in Ogun State’s transport sector as concerned leaders of the Ogun State Parks Management (PAM) have raised the alarm over an alleged move to strip 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, have appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun and top chieftains of the All Progressives Congress to intervene urgently, warning that the dispute could trigger unrest, threaten public safety and disrupt commercial activities if not resolved.
In a statement, the group alleged that politically connected interests were seeking to alter the existing arrangement for managing motor parks and transport operations across 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 claiming that the arrangement is already heavily skewed in favour of the eastern district.
According to the leaders, Ogun East currently has five transport union structures operating within its jurisdiction, while Ogun Central has only one.
They alleged that the sole structure allocated to Ogun Central was now being targeted for removal, with plans reportedly underway to transfer its control 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 manoeuvring poses a serious threat to public peace, commercial activities and the livelihoods of thousands of transport operators,” the leaders warned.
They urged the state government to address the dispute before it escalated into a wider confrontation among stakeholders.
The leaders also appealed to the APC leadership to consider the political implications of the controversy, particularly as preparations gradually gather momentum for the next election cycle.
They argued that transport union members had played significant roles in grassroots mobilisation and electoral campaigns in support of the current administration, insisting that any decision perceived as marginalising Ogun Central could breed resentment among party supporters.
The group maintained that the dispute was not merely about the control of motor parks but also about fairness, political inclusion and the preservation of party unity.
In a particularly pointed appeal, the Concerned Central Leaders urged Abiodun to consider what they described as a costly lesson from a previous dispute over the distribution of park-management responsibilities.
They claimed that an earlier arrangement that divided responsibilities and transferred control to Ogun East was followed by the APC’s loss of seven House of Assembly seats in the district.
The leaders further alleged that those entrusted with the transport operations at the time had expressed confidence in their ability to deliver electoral victories but failed to meet those expectations.
They warned that a similar outcome could recur if the current disagreement was not handled carefully.
However, the claim linking the previous transport-management arrangement directly to the party’s electoral losses was the position of the group and could not be independently established from the information available.
The transport stakeholders called on Abiodun and senior APC leaders to intervene immediately, urging them to prevent the disagreement from degenerating into a crisis.
They alleged that some individuals were pursuing personal interests at the expense of the collective welfare of transport operators, the ruling party and the state.
The leaders called for dialogue and a fair review of the existing arrangement, stressing that decisions affecting transport unions should prioritise stability, equitable representation and the protection of livelihoods.
They also cautioned against actions capable of deepening divisions within the APC or undermining its grassroots support ahead of future elections.
As of the time of the report, the Ogun State Government and the APC leadership had not provided a response to the allegations contained in the statement.
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