The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State has criticized Governor Seyi Makinde over his comments regarding the security situation in the state, describing them as a misrepresentation of the constitutional responsibilities of state governors. In a statement issued in Ibadan on Sunday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the opposition party also rejected the remarks of Makinde that he was constrained in tackling insecurity because all security structures are controlled by the Federal Government. The APC described the comments of the governor as a height of cluelessness, insincerity, and criminal ineptitude, adding that he should not shift responsibility for the security challenges in the state. Consequently, the party demanded that Makinde should resign from office and allow his deputy to complete the remaining one year of his tenure. The statement noted, “Parochial leaders like Makinde pose a grave danger to the growth and development of the Nigerian society, and it is important for the electorate to avoid them in future elections,”
The governor reportedly stated in his acceptance speech as the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement in Ibadan on Saturday that there was little he could do to rescue the schoolchildren and other people abducted by bandits in two remote communities in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state, since he has no absolute control over all security agencies. On Thursday, Makinde had renewed calls for the creation of state police following the abduction of teachers and students at three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area. The governor, who made the remarks during the primaries organized by the APM at Watershed Celebration Centre, Old Ife Road, Ibadan, noted that the incident had made the current period difficult for both him and the state. He also urged the Federal Government to empower state Houses of Assembly to facilitate the establishment of state police structures instead of leaving the responsibility solely to the Inspector General of Police.
Reacting to the stance of the governor, the APC stated that Makinde had never complained about constitutional constraints while exercising other powers of his office. Sadare stated, “Makinde could not find any fault in the nation’s Constitution as he gleefully sworn on it twice to protect the lives and properties of the people of the state. He has been using the mightiness of his office to control power, resources and people without any complaints until now that he is faced with a serious challenge which came his way on account of incompetence, cluelessness and ego.” The opposition party accused the governor of attempting to take advantage of the ugly development to whip up political sentiments to drive his presidential ambition in 2027. The party maintained that with his latest comments, Makinde had unveiled his hypocrisy and it was time he quit the office since he admitted lacking the wherewithal to guarantee the security needs of the residents.
The APC further argued that previous governors of the state operated under the same constitutional provisions without experiencing similar security breakdowns. The statement added, “His predecessors operated under the same constitutional provision and there was never a time in the administrations of late former Governor Lamidi Adesina; former Governor Rashidi Ladoja; late former Governors Adebayo Alao-Akala and Abiola Ajimobi the security architecture of the Pacesetter State was this threatened.” The party recalled that the late Ajimobi established a Security Trust Fund through which adequate funding of the sector was provided while ensuring the involvement of all relevant stakeholders, unlike what is being experienced at the moment.
The opposition party expressed worry over the remaining period of the current administration, stating that the interests of the people were being jeopardized. The statement noted, “Certainly, Governor Makinde’s presidential ambition is dead on arrival but our fear is about the amount of losses, deprivations and wastefulness which the good people of the state would be subjected to in the next one year under his leadership.” Sadare concluded by urging the governor to step aside in the interest of the state, saying, “Oyo people deserve a team player, sincere and humble person as their governor and since Makinde has failed to demonstrate this in the last seven years, he should just apologize and quit the state. He should resign from office immediately and allow his deputy to complete the last year of his two-term tenure,”
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