Group Backs Ondo Finance Commissioner, Warns Detractors

A civic advocacy group, Concerned Citizens of Owo for Good Governance and Cultural Integrity, has passed a vote of confidence in the Ondo State commissioner for Finance, Mrs Wumi Isaac, while warning political detractors within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Owo to desist from what it described as destabilising actions.

In a statement issued yesterday, the group accused a faction within the local APC of attempting to undermine the commissioner’s standing through misinformation and internal sabotage.

The statement, signed by the group’s president, Mr Olarenwaju Adeleke Joseph, described Isaac as a technocrat whose conduct in public office reflects competence, discipline and accountability.

It said the commissioner had emerged as a stabilising force within the government and party, adding that her acceptance in her Owo country home cuts across factional lines.

According to the group, party members, community leaders and residents regard Isaac as measured in conduct and committed to inclusive governance.

The group said such goodwill was earned through years of principled leadership and a deliberate refusal to personalise public office.

It is alleged that this approach had unsettled a “narrow caucus” within the local APC, accused of dominating party patronage and benefits for personal gain.

The statement expressed concern that the group’s alleged actions were weakening internal party democracy and alienating grassroots supporters.

It noted that Owo Local Government had produced both the state Deputy Governor and the Commissioner for Finance, stressing that internal exclusion was therefore counterproductive.

The group cited a recent Christmas stakeholders’ meeting with the governor, during which beneficiaries from the local government were allegedly selected without the commissioner’s consultation.

It claimed that the list was dominated by elderly political figures, while loyalists associated with Isaac were excluded.

According to the group, corrective steps taken after the anomaly was identified were justified and necessary to ensure balance and generational inclusion.

“Democracy does not thrive on stagnation,” the statement said, adding that no individual or clique should enjoy perpetual entitlement.

It described the inclusion of younger party members as a rational step to keep the APC vibrant and responsive.

The group further alleged that some displaced beneficiaries resorted to blackmail and reputational attacks instead of dialogue.

While affirming that dissent was legitimate, it warned that falsehood and deliberate mischief could attract legal consequences.

The group concluded by reaffirming its confidence in Isaac’s performance, loyalty to party ideals and commitment to inclusion.

It urged aggrieved party members to exercise restraint, warning that the APC in Owo must not be “held hostage by a few who mistake longevity for legitimacy.”

“In politics, wisdom is often found in restraint,” the statement added.