The former Chairman of the Ekiti State Microcredit and Enterprise Development Agency, Akogun Abayomi Olumide, has alleged that his removal from office by Governor Biodun Oyebanji was politically motivated.
Governor Oyebanji had announced Olumide’s dismissal last Saturday, citing “gross misconduct and dereliction of duty.”
But in a press statement issued in Lagos, Olumide insisted that his sack was linked to his political stance, particularly his decision to back governorship aspirant, Engineer Kayode Ojo, ahead of the 2026 Ekiti gubernatorial election.
According to him: “My removal was politically-motivated and hinged on refusal to align with Oyebanji for the 2026 election.” He urged Ekiti residents to disregard claims that he was removed for corruption, stressing that he remained committed to his political convictions.
“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,” he said.
On the allegation of corruption, Olumide explained: “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?”
Olumide added that his loyalty to Ojo was based on conviction rather than convenience. “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,” he said.