Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state is one lucky individual.
He has been elected Governor of the Pace setter state twice, not really because he deserved it but mainly because he took advantage of prevailing circumstances on both occassions.
Don’t make a mistake, Seyi Makinde is a master in the art of deception and he successfully deployed deception as a potent weapon on both occassions.
In 2019, the tenacity to put an end to late Governor Ajimobi’s political endeavors was high and popular amongst politicians across political parties in Oyo state.
The determination to end what was considered Ajimobi’s ” third term” through Bayo Adelabu was strong enough to get opposition political parties on the same table with the single aim of dislodging Ajimobi’s All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Agodi Government House.
That unity of purpose was all Seyi Makinde, who, though, having the requisite financial muscle but was lacking in the structures to achieve his gubernatorial ambition needed to set the ball rolling.
Makinde cleverly lowered himself to get former Governor Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja to spearhead a coalition of opposition political parties which would later dislodged the APC from Agodi.
At that point, the only politician who had the charisma to facilitate such a coalition was the former Governor.
Apart from, perhaps, the candidate of the SDP, Chief Ayorinde SAN, all other candidates of the coalition partners were Makinde’s senior in politics but eventually, Makinde got the nod of the coalition and became Governor in 2019.
Similarly, in 2023, Governor Makinde seeking a second term in office relied heavily on an agreement between Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as presidential candidate of the APC and the G-5, a breakaway faction of five rebellious Governors of PDP of which Makinde was a member.
Prior to the 2023 general election, an international crisis have been instigated by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, supported by Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Ikpeazu of Abia, Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Ortom of Benue state.
This five rebellious Governors of the PDP metarmorphosed into what was later known as the G-5.
The G-5 at the time claimed that their grouse with their political party was a result of their resolve to ensure that the presidency came to the south in the spirit of rotation.
The PDP had elected a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar as Its presidential candidate, so, the argument would seem valid.
However, events after the 2023 general election have since proved that contrary to the ascertions of the G-5, they were actually fighting for their political survival and both Wike and Makinde did win big.
Presently, Makinde have been elected for a second term after receiving support from the president elect as he then was and Wike is presently the Minister of the FCT.
Unfortunately, the trio of Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi and Ortom are not that lucky.
Seyi Makinde became Governor of Oyo state for a second term riding on a storm created by some disgruntled elements within the APC in Oyo state and most especially, the agreement between the G-5 and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Isn’t the Governor a lucky storm rider?
The next hurdle before Governor Makinde will be how he will move a step further ahead of late Governor Ajimobi.
The two of them got a second term in office.
Ajimobi could not install Adelabu as his successor.
Will Seyi Makinde ride another storm to make history?
The basis upon which Seyi Makinde ought to have gotten a second term in office should have been his performance in the first term.
That was not the case.
Seyi Makinde got a second term in office through high power politics which was beyond Oyo state.
That is the plain truth, no matter what Makinde or the PDP might want us to believe.
If Governor Makinde got lucky twice, he should be held accountable in 2027.
He is a Governor who has, in about five years committed Oyo state to huge debts, such that have exceeded what his predecessors, rolled into one ever did.
It is high time we begin to ask questions about the debts profile of Oyo state.
Loans have been taken in respect of Agriculture.
How much were attached to Agriculture as Loans?
What is the performance rate?
We have heard how the Farm settlements in Akufo, Eruwa and others will be turned to Eldorado.
I am from Eruwa and I make bold to say that since the Loans have been taken up till now, nothing has been done in the Eruwa Farm settlement.
What is happening in Akufo?
The Loans taken by Governor Makinde in respect of Agriculture is enough to have turned Oyo state to a major player in food production if well utilized.
All we hear from the Government and his team are big Grammar and billions of Naira of borrowed money have gone down the drain.
Another area the Governor must be held accountable is the running of the Local Governments.
Since Governor Makinde have never hidden the fact that he was the one who spends the Local Government funds on behalf of the Local Governments.
How much has he taken as allocation on behalf of the Local Governments, what has happened to the funds?
I have heard the Governor talked about how the Local Governments paid some unbelievable amount of billions as monthly salary.
I wonder what business the Governor have with the payment of Local Government salaries!
The amount he used to quote is also suspect.
It is time for the Governor to come clean, with documents to back up, what exactly he has been doing with the Local Government funds.
There is no disputing the fact that since he became Governor and supervising Agent of the Local Governments, things have gone worse.
We know that he doesn’t believe in the existence of the Local Governments, but his belief is immaterial since the Constitution of Nigeria doesn’t agree with his fantasies.
The Governor must also now be questioned on the billions of Naira expended on the garages he constructed at exorbitant amounts of money.
How are the garages being managed?
Are they really under a non state actor and a close ally of the Governor?
How much is the state making monthly from the Parks?
What will the Governor do to address the free fall of the Education sector in Oyo state?
We had a perfect system in place prior to 2019.
His predecessor in office, late Governor Ajimobi successfully put in place a working arrangement that has seen to the gradual but steady rise in the sector.
Unfortunately, Governor Makinde, without consultations with critical stakeholders unilaterally dismantled that system and the result is the sour state we currently have.
Records don’t lie.
Even if no one asked for it, I think Governor Makinde should evaluate the humongous amounts of money spent on the light up Oyo state project.
The project was unsustainable ab initio.
Such monies, if spent on Education, would have produced fantastic results.
Over 28 billion Naira wasted on such a cosmetic project while Education suffers!
Agbowo is still what it is.
An eye sore with 5b Naira gone to only God knows where and a fifty years embargo placed on the edifice.
This are the parameters that should determine whether Makinde deserves to install a successor.
The determination of such an important factor should not be left in some prevailing political circumstances.
Makinde should at least be put to the test of defending his legacies from his antecedents.
I seriously doubt if he would pass such a test.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
