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A group of councillors from the Oyo North Senatorial District of
Oyo State have criticised Gbenga Babalola, the senator representing the area,
accusing him of being a “bench warmer” at the senate.

Led by Adewumi Ismail, chairman of the Oyo State Councillors’
Forum, the local government legislators were at the Nigerian Union Journalists
state headquarters, Ibadan, on Wednesday, to express their resolve that Mr
Babalola is not returned to the senate next year.

“We have all watched the proceedings of the National Assembly on
the television, How many times have you seen Senator Babalola moving a motion
or sponsoring a bill? He is a member of the Supporters Club and just there as a
bench warmer,” one of the councillors said, while explaining why the senator
does not deserve another ticket.

The aggrieved councillors said they are, instead, nominating
Hosea Agboola, current commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy
Matters in the state, saying he had used his influence to better the lot of the
people of his constituency as well as the generality of the councillors, whose
matter fall under his purview of administration.

Mr Babalola, a son in-law to the late acclaimed godfather of Oyo
State politics, Lamidi Adedibu, was declared winner of the 2007 elections for
the Oyo North Senatorial district. Like other elected officials in the state,
he has been going around to campaign for a re-election. A group of councillors
endorsed his second term ambition last week, touting his achievements as their
reason.

Contest of popularity

But this other group dismissed the endorsement as a ruse, saying
they are the authentic councillors from the constituency. “I want to use this
medium to dispel the rumour that a group of councillors have endorsed the
return of Senator Babalola in the 2011 election,” said Mr Ismail. “The rumour
is not true. We are the genuine councillors from the region.”

According to the
legislators, Mr Agboola has not only used his current office to better their
lot, he is qualified for the position of a senator because of his antecedents.

The councillors further accused Mr Babalola of lacking good
human relations, saying until he was trying to seek a re-election, he was not
known by anybody in the constituency.

The councillor also said
rather than pick from among his people as his personal assistant, the senator
appointed a man from the South-East for the job.