Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state is becoming more and more interesting on a daily basis.
His character traits, his utterances and demeanor kept betraying the fact that illusion has engulfed him to the extent that he is beginning to see things that are not even there.
I have been trying to decipher what exactly could have driven him to this very worrisome point and I am of the view that either or both of two things are responsible for his delusional patterns.
First, I think he has become a prisoner of his ego and instead of him being the driver, he has surrendered the wheel to his ego.
Secondly, I have come to understand the fact that those who believe so much in diabolism are easily carried away by the efficacy of diabolic powers to the extent that they always believe that there is nothing beyond the powers of darkness.
I have seen one of his diehard supporters who once told me that I should take note that any time Governor Seyi Makinde has a public function, it always rained.
I have seen those who told me that the ‘ Omi Tuntun’ acronym is synonymous with the voodoo of the rain and they boasted about the efficacy of its power.
Very recently, I saw some videos of one young man, I think he is a Radio presenter, ‘ Ayedun’.
I saw him in a video prostrating like a lizard before Seye Famojuro, Governor Makinde’s godbrother or what shall we call him?
The fellow said some people have been saying that Seye Famojuro assisted Seyi Makinde to carry some sacrifices before becoming Governor and that it is the reason he enjoys the kind of prominence he enjoys in the Makinde Administration despite the fact that he holds no political office.
The fellow, ‘Ayedun’, was trying to downplay this rumors that has been going round for some time now.
Honestly, I am not interested in whether anyone carried a sacrifice for anybody or whether someone collected some strange water from some North African Country to prepare a sacrifice before he became Governor.
What I know for sure is the fact that God is not mocked and that there is a time assigned by God for certain things to happen.
When they do, it is now up to you to ascribe the credit to God or to man.
Having said that, I want us to consider a couple of statements made by Governor Seyi Makinde at the Cathedral of St. Peters’, Aremo, Ibadan, during the Thanksgiving Service to commemorate the 50 years anniversary of Oyo state.
Governor Makinde repeated the fact that he is not ashamed to say that he doesn’t have a godfather except God, the Father.
Each time I heard him say that, I always marvel at his hypocrisy.
In the first instance, it is not Governor Makinde who would tell us about the sovereignty of God over all things.
No one is contesting the fact that God Almighty is indeed the Father of all.
Secondly, I think Governor Makinde should just stop bothering us with this unnecessary repetition.
I don’t seem to get it. He has chosen to be an ingrate who would not acknowledge the efforts and sacrifices of those whom God has placed beside him to render assistance for him to become Governor on two occasions.
The last time I checked, none of those who assisted him is presently on his neck demanding for recognition as his godfather.
So, why the repetition?
From the day God made man, ingratitude has been part of humanity.
It is not a new thing. The reality however, is that Governor Makinde might be free to keep insulting those who assisted him to win elections, right thinking persons would also be free to see him as an ingrate who refused to acknowledge the efforts of others in his rise to stardom.
He can not have control over that.
It is also interesting that while he was making that statement, he didn’t look at the mirror to assess himself.
You claim to abhor godfatherism but you have destroyed a whole party to establish yourself as a godfather!
Isn’t that hypocritical?
Why is the PDP in the mess it has found itself today?
Why is a puppet gubernatorial candidate selected as PDP flagbearer in Osun state?
Why is it that Governor Makinde’s name is always mentioned in connection with the crisis at all the state chapters of the PDP across Nigeria?
Why did he go ahead with the botched National Convention of the PDP in Ibadan despite two judgments of the Federal High Court which ordered that the Convention be put in abeyance?
Why did he disobey the Judgments of all the layers of the Nigerian Courts to install Samuel Adebayo Adegbola as the Eleruwa of Eruwa?
Why did he attempt to cause a distortion in the ancient pattern of selecting an Olubadan?
Why did he bring in Ifa to select the Alaafin of Oyo against Custom and the judgment of the Court?
Why did he say that he doesn’t believe in the Local Government system as is enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has continued to run the Local Governments in Oyo state according to his wishes, in violent breach of the Constitution?
Governor Seyi Makinde is not willing to accord anyone the honor of being his godfather in politics but he wants to be one.
Infact, Governor Makinde is worse than a godfather.
He is a dictator.
What pains me most, these days, is the fact that society have lost the will to speak truth to power.
Governor Makinde made this statement inside a Church and even in Christiandom, godfatherism is not evil.
Everyone needs guidance.
The great Obafemi Awolowo, as Premier of the Western Region appointed for himself, two prominent Obas, who, in times of difficulties, he always ran to, for candid advice.
The two Obas acted unofficially. That means that whatever truth his official Advisers could not offer him, perhaps, out of respect and timidity, these two Obas always rendered without fear of repercussions.
Who are Governor Makinde’s Advisers?
Who is the one, who could face him and tell him the truth whenever there is need for it?
Who is the one who could caution the self admitted ‘ stubborn Governor ‘?
Yorubas always say that when a child lacks the one who could caution him when he is going astray, he becomes spoilt. ( Omo o ni olubawi, o jera, o se idin).
Each time Governor Makinde admits that he has no one he credits with the honor of being his godfather, he is inadvertently admitting that he is a lose Canon with no checks.
He thought he is honoring himself whereas, he is doing just the opposite.
Now, to the comic relief from Governor Makinde.
He said, though, his tenure ends by May 29, 2027, someone from his team is going to take over from him to continue building on the ‘ strong foundations ‘ he has laid in eight years.
When I read that comment, I immediately remembered that I had once likened Governor Makinde to Amuda’s concubine in the past.
It is Amuda’s concubine who receives a salary of one Kobo monthly and whenever he saw Amuda, he boasted of spending fortunes on a daily basis. ( Oniyeye ale Amuda, to ngba Kobo losu, to nna toro lojumo).
Who assured Governor Makinde that the next Governor of Oyo state would be from his team?
Honestly, Governor Makinde is beginning to see things people see in a dream despite the fact that his eyes were wide open and that is very dangerous.
It was Mario Puzo who wrote that all men dream but they are most dangerous, who dream with their eyes wide open.
What is Seye Famojuro doing?
Did I not say that our dear Governor needs to take some rest?
Perhaps, when Governor Makinde was making that statement, he was mixing things up.
Perhaps, he thought he was talking about the Local Government election he is insisting will be conducted by Next year January, knowing fully well that he is in charge of the Oyo state Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC and he could influence the outcome of the election as it pleases him.
He must have forgotten that the gubernatorial election of next year will be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over which he has no control.
He must have forgotten that the power to choose his successor rest on the citizens of Oyo state through the ballot boxes.
I am insisting. The Governor needs rest.
He made that statement on Sunday, 1st of February, 2026 and by the time he was making the statement, he was yet to announce his anointed candidate to the public as he promised to do.
What he promised earlier was that he would announce his anointed candidate by January of 2026.
What happened to that promise or, has the Governor forgotten that he made such a promise?
I thought Seye should have reminded him.
Before I come to the claims of the ‘ strong foundations ‘ by the Governor, let me talk about the futility of the belief that the next Governor of Oyo state will come from Makinde’s team and I will like to begin with a question for the Governor.
When did INEC registered a new political party with the name ‘ My team ‘?
I must have been missing a lot.
The last time I checked, Governor Makinde and ‘ his team ‘ are politically stranded.
The Federal High Court in Ibadan had nullified the National Convention held by his faction of the PDP.
Not only that, the Court went on to acknowledge the fact that the Wike-led Caretaker Committee is in charge of the PDP.
Those who are presently recognized legally as the NWC of the PDP are insisting that Governor Makinde and others are no longer members of the PDP having been suspended.
For me, I think the issue Governor Makinde should be addressing for now is his status within the PDP except, like I said, if INEC had registered a political party named ‘ My team ‘.
How can a man who has no roof over his head be promising to offer shelter to others?
I am also shocked that Governor Makinde kept talking about ‘ foundations ‘.
Which foundations?
By the time he was making the statements at Aremo, both the Confederation of African Football, CAF and the Nigerian Professional Football League, NPFL had condemned the Adamasingba Sports Stadium.
Both Football Bodies declared that the pitch of the Adamasingba Sports Stadium is in bad shape and could not host both local and international games.
You will recollect that Governor Makinde spent a whooping 5.5 billion Naira to refurbish the Stadium in his first term.
I am surprised that Governor Makinde offered no explanations for this very shameful development.
You will also recollect that apart from the Adamasingba Sports Stadium, some mini stadia were also meant to be constructed across the zones of Oyo state within the Budget of 5.5 billion Naira.
I do not know of anywhere that such mini stadium is built.
Governor Makinde didn’t talk about that but he wants the next Governor of Oyo state to come from his team to build on such shaky foundations.
Today in Oyo state, both Primary and Secondary Health System are nothing to write home about.
Governor Makinde kept dipping his hands on Local Government resources to build Primary Health Centres that are understaffed and ill equipped.
Doctors and other Medical staffs are always in and out of strikes.
There are shortages of Resident Doctors in our general Hospitals and the infrastructures in these Hospitals are nauseating, to say the least.
May God forbid it, if anyone gets bitten by a snake today in Oyo state, our Public Hospitals do not have the capacity to treat snake bites!
Interestingly, under such terrible circumstances, the Governor still, allegedly, deducted 90 million Naira each from the allocation of the 33 Local Governments for the celebration of Oyo at 50!
The Governor had a choice between directing each of the Local Governments to release 90 million Naira for the purchase of drugs for the PHCs, or spending such funds on frivolities and he chose the latter.
Yet, he wants a Governor from his team to continue to build on such recklessness.
As a result of Governor Makinde’s illegal withdrawals of Local Governments funds, Local Governments in Oyo state are generally starved of funds for developmental projects.
The fallout from this is the terrible state of access and link roads across the 33 Local Governments.
Governor Makinde publicly declared that he does not believe in the existence of Local Governments and he has been acting according to his belief, albeit, illegally.
Under his watch, Local Government assetts like Graders, Refuse gathering trucks, Tractors and Borehole drilling equipments left by his predecessors have been sold.
Local Government Chairmen and Career officers have become redundant, even the offices are almost deserted because Governor Makinde is both the Governor of Oyo state and the Chairman of the 33 Local Governments.
The most disturbing aspect of this scenario is the fact that, Local Governments have been receiving tripled monthly Allocations, they are not doing any visible projects, yet, they are in debts!
How do you explain that?
The other time, a Local Government Chairman in Oyo town was begging for money to refurbish the Council office.
Interestingly, the Local Government just received over 500 million Naira as monthly Allocations and yet, the Council is broke!
I was informed sometimes last year that Governor Makinde is in the habits of directing Local Governments in Oyo state to transfer their monthly Allocations to Ibadan North Local Government and from there, the money would be cleared to pay Contractors hired by the state Government to do roads within Ibadan.
Governor Makinde called this disturbing scenario ‘ partnership with Local Governments’.
That is the unfortunate foundation Governor Makinde would want his would be successor to continue to build upon.
The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria places the responsibilities of managing Parks, Garages, Albotoirs and markets under the Local Governments.
The Local Governments are also supposed to collect taxes and rates on these public assets as Internally generated revenues, IGR.
Is that the case in Oyo state?
Governor Makinde built Bus terminals with billions of Naira belonging to the Local Governments.
The worst part is the fact that the money in question is a loan obtained and tied to the monthly Allocations for the Local Governments.
Governor Makinde, not the Local Governments, hired the contractors who built the Bus terminals for over 6 billion Naira per one.
In the end, he handed over the Bus terminals to a bunch of unknown entities called ‘ Park Managers ‘.
The Leadership of this unknown entities have been building choice houses, hotels, buying Land in choice areas and they have been riding exotic cars and buying trucks all over the places with funds that should ordinarily be IGR to the Local Governments.
Is that part of the foundation Governor Makinde is talking about?
The strong Institutions he claimed to have been building?
Today, 500 square meter of Land at the place we used to know as Agodi Gardens sells for 150 million Naira.
Which ordinary person in Oyo state can afford to buy that?
Is that what Governor Makinde is referring to as strong foundations?
The sham that the Agbowo Shopping Complex have become under him?
The several billions of Naira spent on a failed project called Light Up Oyo?
The award of the contract for the production of a notebook for over 2,000 Naira?
The sales of our Farm Settlements?
Are those the strong foundations Governor Makinde is talking about?
Honestly, for now, I don’t take the Governor serious and with due respect to him.
I don’t take him serious because he doesn’t even have a political party and neither has he been bold enough to name his anointed candidate.
When he scaled these hurdles, we definitely will have words.
For now, he should please take care of himself.
He urgently needs rest.
Sola Abegunde.
