Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has accepted defeat in his political misadventures towards the 2027 general election, albeit, he is still struggling to embrace it.
Admitting defeat and embracing it, are two different processes entirely.
After the throat of a horse is cut, it still kicks so violently, to the extent that, if you are unfortunate to receive a blow from the kicks of a dying horse, you might not leave to tell me story, but ultimately, the horse would die.
In less than a month, Governor Makinde had reminded us twice, that he would remain in office until the 28th of May, 2027, even though, we need not be reminded.
That is where the admittance of defeat crept into his consciousness. It is a clever manner of saying, even though, we will be defeated in the general election, but I still have some months to stay in office as the Governor of Oyo state after the election in January and February of 2027.
The dying horse, however , began the violent kicks when the Governor started issuing threats against perceived opposition and unnamed adversaries.
I ruminated over the reckless comments made by the Governor once again and I asked myself, what exactly should Governor Makinde be worrying about at this point that he has accepted defeat?
You are losing power. Your days in office are numbered, reducing, by each passing moments.
The political future is bleak. Empty. Yet, you still think you are in a position to issue threats?
As a Governor for eight years, come May 29, 2027, Governor Makinde would go down in the record books as the most fraudulent individual, ever, to have presided over the affairs of the pace-setter State. The books will no longer be under his control. The atrocities committed under his watch must have become public knowledge.
Not only that, he would have become a former Governor who made the most enemies for himself while in office, formidable enemies for that matter.
At present, even though, he and those involved have been pretending that all is well, his Government is under serious scrutiny by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
You will recollect that the EFCC had requested for the details of all contracts awarded by the Makinde Government from inception and the request led to a litigation at the Federal High Court, Ibadan.
A couple of days ago, I received information about an alleged laundering of Oyo state resources by Governor Seyi Makinde and Seye Famojuro.
It was alleged that the duo had used Oyo state resources to build, for themselves, a vast estate in South Africa and that allegation is just one out of several allegations like that.
The allegations of fraud hanging over the necks of Seyi Makinde and Seye Famojuro are just too frightening and I wonder, should Governor Makinde still have the mouth to threaten anyone?
The allegations against Governor Seyi Makinde and Seye Famojuro are not limited to financial crimes.
Some of us are waiting for the Governor to exhaust his immunity before we take steps to see that he and Seye Famojuro answer for the crimes committed at Eruwa in 2021 and that of Igangan in 2023.
Let me remind you, in 2021, Auxiliary led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP thugs to Eruwa during the Local Government election and four innocent lives were lost in the attack unleashed by the PDP demons at the time.
Similarly, during a campaign activity at Igangan in 2023, the same Mukaila Auxiliary unleashed violence in Igangan and many lives were lost.
Mukaila Auxiliary had admitted to the fact that Seyi Makinde and Seye Famojuro were the ones who recruited him in 2019, as a ” security” after he left prison.
He was very clear about the roles assigned to them and the purposes for which he was hired.
Criminal matters do not have an expiry date and just as Governor Makinde told Senator Folarin, during the 2023 Gubernatorial debate, the files are still with the appropriate security Agencies.
You now begin to wonder, when will Governor Seyi Makinde stop digging, having found himself in a hole?
I know that his greatest weakness is his ego, but what is there to be egocentric about again?
Some of us who had the privilege of serving in that State Secretariat before Governor Seyi Makinde, knows that, immediately after losing out in the election of January and February 2027, the influence of the outgoing Governor would begin to wane considerably.
The law of diminishing returns would set in immediately.
As an outgoing Governor, most especially, one, whose anointed candidate had lost the election, no one has need of you again.
The focus will automatically be shifted to the incoming Government and the power players behind the incoming Administration.
Even, Civil servants will begin to choose, which instructions from you, to comply with.
It is the way of life. So, in the midst of such a commotion, where will the strength to teach us a lesson we will never forget, come for Governor Seyi Makinde?
Honestly, Governor Makinde lacks some basic lessons about power and I say this, with utmost respect to his person.
At that point, his stubbornness would count for nothing. In fact, it would be regarded as the stubbornness of a wretched man. ( Agidi talika).
Oh! Those days could be extremely frustrating.
One of the best strategies for fighting a war is to ensure that, as you are mapping out your strategies, you have taken into cognisance, the fact that your opponents are also strategizing and you must factor their plans into your own strategies.
I am surprised that Governor Seyi Makinde thinks that those he is threatening will just fold their arms and allow him to vent his frustrations on them after losing out in the 2027 general election.
In the scheme of things, you are just the head of a Government in the middle of the pecking order.
So, what happens to the highest order?
Will everyone just fold their arms and watch you destroy the world, just because you brought calamities upon yourself through arrogance, betrayals and incurable stubbornness?
We will not allow Governor Makinde to bring the state down.
In his shoes in 2019, the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi acted responsibly.
He allowed the people of Oyo state to make their choice without intimidations and thereafter, accepted the choice made by the electorate with dignified calm and humility.
He did not bring down the house just because the candidate of his party lost to the PDP and this same Governor Makinde.
I advice Governor Makinde to toe the line of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
The only thing that lasts forever is the Grace of God. Political offices have expiry dates.
I know that it is not going to be easy for Governor Seyi Makinde.
He, himself, is aware of what awaits him outside the immunity conferred on him by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
However, there are no two ways to it. By May 29, 2027, he must step out of that immunity, become an ordinary citizen of Nigeria and go face the challenges ahead of him.
There are no options aside that.
Sola Abegunde.
