The leadership of market associations across Oyo State has formally denounced the purported inauguration of a market council in Ogbomoso, labeling the event a “charade” and distancing themselves from the leadership of Alhaji Y.K. Abass.
In a heated reaction to an announcement released for Wednesday, March 25, 2026, which claimed the formation of a unified Craftsmen and Traders Association of Ogbomoso Zone, various market stakeholders have moved to invalidate the proceedings.
Central to the controversy is the role of the State Government in local market affairs. Market leaders argued that the Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Hon Niyi Adebisi lacks the legal right or statutory power to bypass local government structures to inaugurate these bodies.
“The Commissioner and his team of Directors are treating the markets like a personal fiefdom.
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He should stop intimate us with security as we believe in ‘no victory without war’ and we are ready to protect our constitution as market traders and artisans.”
While the Ogbomoso announcement prominently featured the Oyo State Commissioner, Permanent Secretary, and Directors of Trade and Commerce, critics maintain that these appointments and councils must emerge from the grassroots rather than being imposed by state officials.
The market leaders also took aim at Alhaji Y.K. Abass, who was identified in the Ogbomoso broadcast as the “Babaloja General”.
The dissenting leaders clarified that while Abass was nominated to the Oyo State Government, his authority is not recognized by the collective of market clusters, also the clarification as Babaloja is still in court.
Yet YK Abass and the ministry are used ‘Divide And Rule’ with just 4 clusters for market’s affairs in Oyo State.
“The remaining 8 clusters are against everything because the issue of market is an internal affair, not government backed appointees”.
“Every association has their individual operational constitutions”.
However, the legitimate market leadership has urged all traders and artisans to stay away from any activities organized by this new body while pleading to Governor Seyi Makinde to swift in actions to avoid insecurity among the markets.
