By Sola Abegunde
I was asking a brother of mine yesterday if he noticed that our usually flamboyant and outspoken Governor have been unusually quiet of late? He said he also noticed that the Oyo state Governor, the ‘ friend of the masses ‘ aka the ”double six” have been very quiet in recent times.
I told my brother, that Governor Makinde’s silence is as a result of certain circumstances beyond his control but that yesterday, he would be somewhere, waiting and hoping. My brother asked me why Governor Makinde would be watching and hoping and what would he be watching and hoping for?
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I told him that though, it was the APC that was conducting their state Congress yesterday but Governor Makinde and the PDP would be the ones who would be catching cold.
They knew that it was at this point in 2023 that the APC got things wrong and allowed a crack which gave the PDP great opportunities to win the 2023 gubernatorial election. They, naturally would be hoping for a repeat of the 2023 mistakes yesterday.
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Infact, I read a report a couple of days before the Congress of the APC which says that the opposition parties, including the PDP were waiting for the APC to implode as a result of expected crisis and irreconcilable differences arising from the just concluded Oyo APC state Congress.
Sadly and unfortunately, it seems like Governor Makinde and the PDP would have to take their hope somewhere else.Oyo APC had an almost rancour free state Congress yesterday and definitely, the party remains on course to unseat Governor Makinde and his outcast Group of the PDP in 2027.
The only option open for the Governor and his confused Group is to quickly get their acts together and find a political party where they will try their luck in 2027. Honestly, it does appear like they will only try but the outcome is becoming clearer by the day.
I must admit that I am also surprised that Governor Makinde could be this quiet even though, I know certain things burning him in the inside, which may not be public knowledge yet. ( Ina abe aso).
Yet, by his character, I thought he would carry on in his usual Macho man posture, pretending that all is well. Ah! The race against time and tide is always impossible to win. On the one hand, Governor Seyi Makinde is running a race against the tide.
Presently, he could only vouch for himself as being the sole Governor remaining in the PDP. I would have said himself and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state but the Bauchi state Governor has been speaking in parables since he met president Tinubu a couple of weeks ago and when PDP Governors began to act like that after meeting with the president, we all know what happens next.
Still on this point, even, Governor Makinde is not a member of the PDP as we speak! The Federal High Court in Ibadan had nullified the National Convention which produced the Executives loyal to him.
The Wike led Executives have received the recognition of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as a result of that judgment and they are insisting that Governor Makinde and others have been expelled from their party. Did I hear you ask about the judgment of the Oyo state High Court which said that the Convention was valid?
I told you before now that the judgment of the Oyo state High Court, with profound respect, is merely an academic exercise and I’m sure Governor Makinde must have realized the folly in pursuing such an action despite the pendency of the same matter before the Court of Appeal.
Perhaps, the dashed hope he received from the futility of that judgment is contributing to his very unusual silence. Even, I am not hearing from the ‘ ejika’, Seye Famojuro these days.
On the other hand, Governor Makinde is running a race against time! This is his biggest problem. His most lethal problem, a source of worries and concerns and perhaps, source of headache. The readjusted Electoral Act is a big issue for all political parties most especially, those who are disorganized like the PDP.
The time frame within which to produce candidates and the mode of party primaries are big issues. Political activities have become more compressed and cumbersome. Now, political parties must conclude their party primaries between the 23rd of April and 30th of May, 2026. The mode of selecting party candidates have been limited to either of consensus or direct primaries.
In other words, Governor Makinde has less than three months from now to present his anointed candidates for elective positions. I am surprised that the noise of ‘ from GSM, ( Governor Seyi Makinde), to PSM, ( President Seyi Makinde),has completely faded out. (Egbe aja lo njeun taja njuru)?
It is now a battle for survival.
Governor Makinde who boasted that he was going to unveil his successor by January of 2026 does not even know the political party he presently belongs to! He has held meetings with the former Vice president Atiku Abubakar and the former Governor of Kano state, Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, probably, seeking asylum in the ADC and the ANPP.
The other time, he met with president Tinubu and started talking about bipartisan approach to politics. Only God, Governor Makinde and president Tinubu know what happened behind those closed doors on that day but there are rumors that things didn’t go well with our Governor. How could a man be faced with these extremely difficult circumstances and he would not break?
I have always been saying this and I will still repeat it for emphasis sake. If you have anything good to do with your political future and you are still in the PDP, this is the time to run and run fast.
Time is of the essence.
Governor Makinde’s ego won’t allow him to tell his followers in time, that the ship is wrecked. His main concerns now is survival and it is not the survival of all of you who still thinks he has a magic wand. It is his survival that matters to him and perhaps, that of the fellow you are all fond of calling ‘ ejika’, Seye Famojuro.
Even, the ‘ ejika’ will not be able to carry itself as things get hotter. So, run! There is fire on the mountain. If anyone locates our Governor, kindly help tell him that I am missing his humor.
Sola Abegunde.
