Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said he regrets supporting President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, accusing his administration of failing to deliver national unity, fairness and competent leadership.
Makinde made the remarks during a live radio interview in Ibadan on Sunday, explaining that his decision to support Tinubu was based on the expectation that the President would prioritise national interest over party politics and assemble capable Nigerians from different regions to address the country’s challenges.
The governor, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the administration had fallen short of those expectations.
“Is it a government of national competence? Is it a government of national unity? The answer is no,” he said.
Makinde was among the PDP governors associated with the G5 group, which opposed the party’s leadership arrangement ahead of the 2023 election and withheld support for its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in favour of Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said the decision was driven by concerns about fairness, justice, equity and regional balance, particularly the expectation that the presidency should move to the South after eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“I supported fairness, justice and equity. I supported a united Nigeria, a Nigeria that gives opportunity to every part of this country,” Makinde said.
The governor disclosed that he had initially supported the presidential ambition of then Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike within the PDP. However, tensions over the party’s presidential ticket and the continued tenure of its national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, deepened the crisis.
According to Makinde, the G5 governors sought to resolve the dispute by asking Atiku to allow Ayu to step aside in favour of Taofeek Arapaja, who was then the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South).
He said the group met Atiku in London and presented the proposal as part of efforts to address concerns about fairness and regional representation.
Makinde said an intermediary later facilitated contact with Tinubu, with whom he had not previously had political dealings.
He explained that his decision to support the APC candidate was based on the expectation that a Tinubu-led government would bring together competent people across party and regional lines to reset the country.
The governor also recounted an episode involving a proposed ministerial appointment, saying Tinubu had asked him to recommend a candidate for a ministerial position.
Makinde said he recommended an indigene of Oyo State for the position of Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, but the person was not appointed to that portfolio.
Adebayo Adelabu, another indigene of the state, was subsequently appointed Minister of Power.
He further disclosed that Tinubu had sought his assistance in organising the APC in Oyo State, but he declined because of his allegiance to the PDP.
Makinde’s latest comments come amid his reported presidential ambition and efforts to build an alternative political platform through an alliance involving the PDP and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
He has also called for a viable opposition to sustain democratic competition and prevent Nigeria from drifting towards a one-party state.
Reflecting on his decision to support Tinubu, Makinde said he had expected the President to bring together capable people who could address the country’s challenges, but the outcome had disappointed him.
“So, I regret that action. Yes, I do,” he said.
The governor added that leaders should be willing to admit their mistakes and apologise when their decisions produce outcomes different from what they expected.
“I’m also not afraid to apologise to people when I wrong them, because it’s only God that is all-knowing, that knows the end from the beginning,” he said.
