Though , Governor Seyi Makinde would like to pretend as if all is well, but these, indeed are very tough times for the Governor of Oyo state. Time is ticking and ticking fast.
The moves he orchestrated to hijack the structures of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has collapsed.
Unlike the few other Governors remaining with him in the PDP, his antecedents is a big hurdle in his way to join a major opposition political party.
No one would want to deal with a man with a track record of serial betrayals of those with whom he had built alliances with in the past.
In politics, trust is key to success. If it is true that president Bola Ahmed Tinubu actually offered him the undeserved privilege to ” reorganize Oyo APC” as he claimed recently, then, he squandered an opportunity of a life time.
If that claim is true like I said, he must have been handed the structures of Oyo APC on a platter of gold, but in his characteristics manner and for me, through divine providence, he rejected the offer.
His ill-advised Media chat where he threw all manner of banters at the president is a fate-sealing misadventure for him and he is beginning to realize that. In spite of that verbal diorhea, it is obvious that Governor Seyi Makinde desperately wish for another round table with the president.
For the Governor of Oyo state, by now, every options are on the table. Though, a lot of people are lobbying for him to be reconsidered by president Tinubu, I am sure both the Governor and the lobbyists know that it is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible under the prevailing circumstances.
Will president Tinubu call the APC in Oyo and say, look, I’m afraid, I can’t win in Oyo except I appeal to Makinde, so, accommodate him or what?
Oyo APC is presently basking in the euphoria of a new found unity within its ranks and files.
Will the president throw a Makinde into their midst to destroy the APC, just as he destroyed the PDP? I think not.
The other option on the table for Governor Makinde is to join the ADC or any of the other mushroom political parties, but just like in the APC, he would most definitely meet with very stiff oppositions if he intends to join the ADC because, he and others were practically responsible for the exit of those who joined the ADC from the PDP.
They know him and what he is capable of doing and I’m sure they wouldn’t want to take unnecessary chances of accommodating someone with Governor Seyi Makinde’s track records within them.
Except they are prepared to experience, once again, what he and others exposed them to in the PDP.
Honestly, Governor Makinde is like a cornered rat right now. When I saw the timetable released by the Oyo state Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC this morning, I told someone, that this is another of Governor Seyi Makinde’s desperate measures.
According to the document, Councilorship and Local Government election would be held in Oyo state on 16th of January, 2027.
In the first place, this is January of 2025. The tenure of the present occupiers of the position of Chairmen and Councilors in Oyo state would expire on May 23, 2027.
That is almost a year and a half away from now and just about six days when another Governor would be sworn in.
The OYSIEC Law provides that the Commission shall give a notice of specific number of days to political parties before the election.
Is Governor Seyi Makinde and the OYSIEC that idle that they have decided to be concentrating efforts on a Local Government election which is about a year away?
We have a general election beginning from February, 2027. Sometimes, I used to marvel at Governor Makinde’s desperation. The factors that will not allow him to conduct an election at the appointed time are numerous.
Yet, Governor Makinde thinks he could successfully take care of all legal encumbrances against the proposed election but NO! He can’t.
The encumbrances are too many and most of them are outside of his powers, most especially, as a Governor who has just a few days left in office.
With due respect to him, the Governor really needs to go and study the latter days of outgoing Governors.
I bet he would be alarmed to see how almost powerless and irrelevant you could be as a Governor on your way out.
By January 16th of 2027, the general election would be just days away. The police and other Security Agencies are critical Stakeholders in every election process including Local Government elections.
I will not say more than that for now. Apart from that, electioneering process for the 2027 general election would also be on around December/January period and Governor Makinde and OYSIEC want to distract political parties with a Local Government election within such a period?
I also will not say more than that for now. It seems Governor Makinde and the OYSIEC doesn’t know that the SIEC Law is a state Law and it will bow to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Law if there is a clash.
The Independent Electoral Commission, INEC also have their own role, though, nominal but crucial. It has to do with the release of voters register and I won’t also say more than that for now.
I urge every opposition political party to be vigilant and be ready to do the needful once the notice for the election is served on them.
I know that the Governor would come out to tell us, oh! We have to conduct the election because we can’t allow for a vacuum.
That argument would appear valid but the question is, what is wrong in asking the Heads of Local Government Administration to be in charge of the Local Governments for just the six days that a new Government would be sworn in?
Yes, the Supreme Court had ruled that Local Governments must be run by democratically elected Chairmen but Governor Makinde is against that judgment. Isn’t he?
What has changed that he now doesn’t want a vacuum for just sox days?
The Law is not static. The HLAs can successfully run the Local Governments until the new Government and political parties agree on a proper time to conduct Local Government election.
Their activities would only be restricted somehow. If a new Government comes in by May 29, 2027, the new Government, through OYSIEC, will call for a meeting of political parties and they would decide on a quick and suitable time for Local Government election to be held.
That is the tidiest thing to do. In Governor Makinde’s shoes, I might also be tempted to do what he is planning to do and for two reasons.
One, people kept leaving the PDP on a daily basis. If you need to tie them down, dangling Chairmanship and Councilorship tickets in their faces would help a lot.
Politicians are incurable optimists. The mere thought that, it might be possible is enough to make some notable politicians stick with Governor Seyi Makinde, even, in the midst of a storm.
Secondly, the rot in the Local Governments are so terrible. The 33 Local Governments under Governor Makinde are centres for series of criminal activities.
How do you explain a situation where the monthly Allocations for the 33 Local Governments are being warehoused in a particular Local Government in Ibadan, before it’s been cleared out?
How would you explain a situation where, monthly Allocations for the 33 Local Governments have tripled, yet, the Local Governments are in debts despite the fact that no physical projects were executed?
Governor Makinde has so much he would love to hide in the Local Governments.
Who would want his rump to be exposed?
Unfortunately, I don’t see how he would escape the inevitable. For those who still believe that Governor Makinde is a Macho man, this move by OYSIEC must have informed them that the Governor is already panicky.
He knows deep inside of him that 2027 is not looking good for him and whichever political party he chooses to berth, except, perhaps, he joins the APC.
Unfortunately, by his antics, he has built a wall of Jericho between himself and the APC.
Let us ask ourselves, If the Governor is not afraid of something, why would he jump the 2027 general election and start talking about a Local Government election now?
I know he is not only stubborn. He is also desperate, but head or tails, he won’t have his way with the Local Government election.
Not only the political parties, some of us, as bonafide citizens of Oyo state would exercise our Constitutionally guaranteed rights to stop him.
He has destroyed the Local Governments enough. What he told the people of Oyo state is that he would unveil his successor by this January. That is what some of us have been waiting for.
He shouldn’t distract us from that narrative by asking OYSIEC to publish a time table for an election that would not hold.
I was Guest on a Radio program today and we discussed the menace of Bandits in Oyo state. I think Governor Makinde should be concerned much more about the security of lives and properties of the people of Oyo state which is being threatened in some communities presently.
I do not expect him to have time for frivolous things like a Local Government election under the prevailing circumstances. He is the Chief Security officer of the state and we need him in action.
He should be seen to be up and doing in the area of security now, more than anything else. By the way, how far with the Aeroplanes he promised to procure for security purposes?
I think he should be telling us more about all these rather than bringing up the issue of Local Government election.
Honestly, it is most insensitive for anyone to brush aside security challenges and be talking about a Local Government election in 2027.
Sola Abegunde.
