Three political appointees serving under Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde have resigned from their positions, adding to a series of departures from the state government ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The officials are the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Ayobami Oluwaseun Ojo; Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning, Simeon Adegbola Oyeleke; and a member of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Sunday Olugbenga Falana.

Their resignations were communicated on Monday, November 2, 2026, with all three officials indicating that their decisions would take immediate effect.

Ojo conveyed his resignation in a letter addressed to Makinde through the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Musibau Babatunde. He referred to his appointment letter dated June 22, 2026, but did not disclose the reason for leaving the position.

The former commissioner thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to serve Oyo State.

Similarly, Oyeleke, a former two-term member of the Oyo State House of Assembly and former local government chairman, tendered his resignation in a letter dated November 2.

Unlike Ojo, Oyeleke gave an explanation for his decision, stating that he was no longer comfortable with the working environment in the administration.

He said the circumstances had made it difficult for him to effectively pursue and fulfil the aspirations of his people while serving in the government.

Despite his decision, Oyeleke appreciated Makinde for his leadership, encouragement and support, as well as the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

Falana, who hails from Ogbomoso, also resigned his appointment as a member of OYSIEC through a letter addressed to the governor via the Chief of Staff.

He did not state the reason for his departure but described his experience serving on the state’s electoral management body as worthwhile and expressed appreciation to the governor for the opportunity.

The latest resignations come weeks after the departure of Makinde’s Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, who stepped down in October after serving in the position for more than five years. The former Director-General of the state’s Due Process Office, Tara Adefope, also resigned around the same period.

Other officials have reportedly left the administration in recent months, including political appointees and members of the governor’s advisory team.

The developments are taking place as political activities gradually intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, the three latest appointees did not collectively attribute their resignations to the forthcoming elections.

The Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) has introduced Nigerian entrepreneurs, business executives and investors to an investment programme that offers eligible foreign nationals a pathway to permanent residency in the United States.

The chamber organised an executive roundtable in Lagos on October 22, 2026, to explain the requirements and opportunities under the US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme. The engagement was themed “Exploring the U.S. EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme: A Strategic Pathway to U.S. Permanent Residency and Global Mobility.”

According to the chamber, the session was designed to help participants understand how qualifying investments can provide a route to US permanent residency, alongside opportunities for international business expansion.

The EB-5 programme allows eligible foreign investors to apply for permanent residency by making qualifying investments that meet requirements established by US immigration authorities. These include conditions relating to job creation and other applicable investment criteria.

The event was hosted by NACC National President, Alhaji Sheriff Balogun, while Moussa Ndiaye, Vice President of Business Development and Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa at U.S. Immigration Fund, spoke on the programme and how prospective applicants could navigate its requirements.

Grace Adeyemo, chairperson of the chamber’s Trade and Investment Committee, also participated in the discussion. The roundtable was sponsored by U.S. Immigration Fund and brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs and prospective investors interested in learning about investment-linked immigration options.

The NACC said the initiative formed part of its broader efforts to promote investment education, encourage international business engagement and strengthen economic relations between Nigeria and the United States.

The chamber added that it would continue to provide platforms for business networking, investment facilitation and bilateral trade cooperation.

However, participation in the programme does not guarantee permanent residency. Prospective applicants must meet the relevant investment, job-creation and immigration requirements set by US authorities.

The Kano State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has threatened to take legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the exclusion of its governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, from the list of candidates for the 2027 election.

The party’s state chairman, Husseini Mairiga, said the NDC would approach the court if the electoral commission failed to address its complaint concerning Gwarzo’s omission from the final list.

Speaking in a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP, Mairiga disclosed that the party had yet to receive an official response from INEC following the expiration of the October 24 deadline for submitting complaints over excluded candidates.

He said he had contacted party leaders at the national level but had received no update on the matter. Mairiga added that he planned to visit Abuja on Monday to seek clarification from the commission and determine the next course of action.

The chairman maintained that the party would not abandon its efforts to secure Gwarzo’s inclusion on the list.

“If INEC does not give us any update, we are going to court. We cannot just leave it like that,” he said.

The NDC had earlier submitted a complaint through its national leadership after INEC directed political parties affected by the omission of their candidates to report their grievances before the October 24 deadline.

Mairiga insisted that Gwarzo was a duly registered member of the party and maintained that a review of the relevant membership records would establish his eligibility to contest the governorship election.

The dispute follows INEC’s publication of its final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections, which also excluded some candidates from other political parties.

Among those affected are the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates in Gombe and Ogun states, Isa Ali Pantami and Oladipupo Adebutu, respectively. The omissions have prompted complaints from the affected parties and threats of legal action.

INEC has previously cited compliance with statutory requirements governing political party membership registers and candidate nominations as a factor in the exclusion of some candidates. The commission’s position is central to the dispute, as affected parties seek clarification on the reasons their candidates were left off the list.

The NDC’s planned legal action will depend on the outcome of its engagement with INEC and the available legal procedures for challenging the exclusion.