If you are conversant with the activities of local hunters, you will know that sometimes, their guns used to misfire.
Infact, there is a particular way the gun would misfire to the extent that it could cause very serious injuries to the hunter, or, on some occasion, it could kill the hunter who fired the shot. It is called, ” tidijo”. A situation where the bullets accidentally forced an escape through the handle of the gun instead of passing directly through the barrel. This kind of accident is synonymous with dane guns, but for other categories of sophisticated guns, when such unintended accidents happen, they refer to it as accidental discharge.
I have read Governor Seyi Makinde’s latest newsletter which he captioned “I Did Not Step Forward To Step Down”: We Are Going Forward “.
I have to admit that the piece is a very clever work of propaganda, but unfortunately, as beautifully woven as it appears, it contains fundamental errors of logic and reasoning which could easily be identified by discerning minds.
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I refer to paragraph 18 of the newsletter and I will quote the Governor verbatim, he wrote: “Justice Nkeonye Maha affirmed that the EFCC has the authority to investigate financial crimes. However, the court held that its power must be exercised within the Constitution and the rule of law”.
I deliberately quoted the above paragraph because it contravenes the position of his army of ignorant supporters who have been twisting the judgment of the Federal High Court and misinterpreting same to mean that the Federal High Court actually restrained the EFCC from investigating the Government of Oyo state.
I must thank Governor Seyi Makinde for corroborating my position on this matter, even though, I know that this is an unforced error on the part of the Governor.
Whatever happened at the Federal High Court on Wednesday, the EFCC, I am sure, is on course of performing its Constitutional responsibilities in Oyo state and no court can stop it from doing so.
Honestly, I wonder why Governor Seyi Makinde and his Government would waste so much time trying to run away from the Anti-graft Agency when they know that they could only run, they can not escape.
I have also been wondering what they have benefitted from that judgement. At best, they have a reprieve for less than a year. That is all. Now, they are back at where they left and it will be interesting to see how things go from here.
Having said that, I have to say that Governor Makinde should really stop this wolf crying all the time. At this point, I think he should really begin to be ashamed of himself. Crying wolf, wolf all the time, where there is none.
He hasn’t fully recovered from the serious bashing he has been receiving consequent upon his cries of wolf to the United Nations concerning the abduction and rescue operation of Teachers and Pupils of Oriire Local Government. Now, he has started on another journey of wolf crying.
In his latest newsletter, Governor Seyi Makinde would want the public to believe that he is being haunted by the EFCC just because he is contesting for the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Governor Seyi Makinde, with due respect, you are lying and you know that you are lying.
In January 2025, I forwarded a petition dated the 8th day of January to the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC against you and officials of your Government.
Before that time, a Non-governmental organization had exposed your Government with respect to the award of contract for the supply of exercise books.
Only the Anti-graft Agencies can say the number of petitions they have received against your Government till today.
So, are you saying that the EFCC should not investigate you and your Government just because you have declared to run for the presidency?
Is Peter Obi not a former Governor who served for eight years? Is Atiku Abubakar not a former Vice President of Nigeria? Both of them held public offices before now. Are the two of them not a more formidable political opponents of Tinubu? Has the EFCC gone after them?
I am surprised that Governor Seyi Makinde would not reflect on his methods after receiving the kind of bashing he received from the public after the Oriire episode.
Even if he doesn’t want to reflect, shouldn’t he at least, try and change certain things about how he plays the card?
For proper comprehension of my perspective on this matter, let me take the pain to reproduce some paragraphs from Governor Makinde’s newsletter.
The Governor wrote: ” On Wednesday, 22 July 2026, a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan delivered judgment in a case instituted by the Oyo state Government against the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission.”
” To understand why this judgment matters, we must return to my interview on Channels Television on 15 April 2025. I was asked about the possibility of running for President. I responded:
” I don’t have any doubt that I have the capacity to occupy the highest office in this land, and I have what it takes “.
” I had not declared that I would run. In fact, I made it clear that such a decision would depend on what Nigerians wanted and the direction my political party chose.”
” Nevertheless, the political reactions began”.
” On 1 June 2025, just about a week after the All Progressives Congress endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, an APC chieftain publicly warned me not to contest against the President. He described such a candidacy as an exercise in futility and advised the opposition not to waste its time”. ( Note that the Governor didn’t give the name of the APC Chieftain he is referring to in the comments above).
” The following day, 2 June 2025, the EFCC wrote to the Accountant-General of Oyo state demanding copies of every contract involving the Oyo state Government and details of all transactions and payments made to Contractors from 2021 to date of its letter “.
I have taken the pain to reproduce those paragraphs from the newsletter to establish a pattern and for the benefits of those who may not have access to the newsletter.
Governor Seyi Makinde, in the newsletter, is implying that the letter from the EFCC to the Accountant-General of Oyo state, is a reaction to his interview with Channels Television on 15th April, 2025.
I am not surprised. That is his stock in trade. He had alleged that Bandits kidnapped Teachers and Pupils from Oriire Local Government a day after he declared to run for the presidency of Nigeria. So, what can’t such a character do? With what can he not play his dirty politics?
Now, what is all these fuss about the EFCC writing to demand for details of public funds spent by a Governor who is holding a public office?
The EFCC is not asking you to provide it with details of your private resources and neither is it investigating your private Companies. So, Why will someone become so jittery, crying like a baby, just because an Agency of Government is doing its job?
Why is it that Governor Makinde is not seeing what some of us are seeing?
No matter how hard he has been trying, Tinubu is just ignoring him! The president has never joined issues with him. In fact, the man has been treating him like an inconsequential character. Someone who doesn’t exist. Yet, Governor Makinde would want us to believe that Tinubu is having nightmares as a result of an ill-fated presidential ambition.
My advice for the Governor at this point is very simple. Rabble rousing is not the solution. The Governor must brace himself for an imminent investigation into the activities of his Government.
President Tinubu has been very fair to him and others.
I am surprised that the same Governor Makinde who has been terrorizing the opposition in Oyo state would suddenly begin to cry foul just because an Agency of Government is performing statutory duties assigned to it by statutes.
The same Governor Makinde who had illegally empowered the Oyo state Signage and Advertisement Agency, OYSAA to be terrorizing the opposition in his state is now crying wolf because his Government is about to be investigated? Very interesting.
As a citizen, I had raised issues about the Light Up Oyo Project, the Bus Terminals, Agbowo Shopping Complex, the variations on almost of all the contracts awarded by Governor Makinde, Local Government funds and other issues.
Are all these not worthy of being investigated?
Every time we asked questions about the spurious loan approvals by the Oyo state House of Assembly, the Government go mute. They become what Yorubas call ” olundu”.
Now, it is time to go give accounts and no amounts of rabble rousing will stop the Anti-graft Agencies from performing their duties.
May the Governor enjoy a beautiful holiday wherever he chooses to go enjoy himself this time around but he should stop polluting our ears with his needless cries of wolf.
Sola Abegunde.
