To many people, the story began in 2019, shortly after the Presidential and National Assembly election. A sitting Governor, Sen Abiola Ajimobi had been defeated by the unrated Dr Kola Balogun to clinch the Oyo South Senatorial seat. Even though the ruling APC won an overwhelming majority of the National Assembly seat, Ajimobi’s defeat gave the opposition the neccesary impetus to face the Gubernatorial election. A coalition was hurriedly assembled where Seyi emerged as the preferred candidate who went ahead to win the election by a landslide.
In actual fact, Seyi Makinde’s story did not start at that NUJ Press Centre where the coalition was announced to the Public. From being robbed of his Senatorial victory by the Obasanjo/Adedibu abracadabra of 2007, to being forced out of PDP by Sen Teslim ‘Jagba’ Folarin in 2015, Oluwaseyi was a man who had tenaciously weathered the vagaries of political contests and associated disappointments. Despite never holding any public office as at then, Engr Seyi Makinde had been contributing in no small way to the development of Ibadan Land and Oyo state through scholarships, projects as well as financial supports to a lot of individuals and organisations. Each of these actions put him in the good books of people, and every set back he had, won him sympathy. The National Leadership of PDP then had this in mind when wooing the OmiTitun man back to the party to run as the candidate. Despite the resistance of a former Governor who just returned to the party then, the Uche Secondus-led executives stood their ground. Seyi got the party ticket, and led the party into the Presidential and National Assembly elections against a sitting Governor, as well as candidates backed by former Governors Akala and Ladoja in ADP and ZLP respectively, as well as ADC led by sitting National Assembly members, and former SSG Koleosho. Makinde not only led PDP to win the Presidential election in the state, he won the majority of National Assembly seats by the opposition (1 Senator and 4 Reps) which put him in pole position as the face of the opposition. Thus, his adoption as the candidate of the coalition was not altruistic, a befitting crown for his (and the PDP’s) efforts in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Flash forward 4 years, Seyi Makinde is no longer an opposition frontrunner, but a sitting Governor seeking re-election on the basis of his antecedents. He is a man, who in the spirit of the coalition, conceded 5 key (out of 17) commissioners to other parties, as well many other appointments as Special Advisers, Board Chairmen etc. He is a Governor who had never faltered in the payment of workers salaries (including 13th Month bonus), as well as contractual obligations to contractors, despite crunching economic conditions. He is a man who has brought the highest intervention into the Primary Health Sector through the renovation of one Health Care Centre in each Ward. He is a man who has run the most transparent appointment process into TESCOM, as well as other sectors in the civil service. His achievement also include promoting inclusion in government like no other, appointing the first female SSG, as well as an unprecedented number of youths, women, non-indigenes and persons living with disabilities into political positions.
He is also a man who feels he is responsible, not to a Godfather but God the Father and the people that elected . He is a Governor that has refused to give politicians unfettered access to state resources as they expect. He is a leader who is not ready to trade the welfare of the downtrodden, the workers, the students and others to satisfy selfish politicians.
As we go to the polls, the politicians have come with their conspiracies. Like hawks, who have been prevented from devouring young chicks by a watchful mother hen, they are a frustrated lot who will do anything to regain access to our commonwealth. They are using all manners of tricks, from religious divisions to plain falsehoods to gain the support of Oyo state voters. Their interest is not in the welfare of the majority but in filling their pockets.
This is a call to action. Our business as residents of Oyo state is simple, to prove to the selfish minority that we are neither slaves nor dummies. We must show our preference for the sitting Governor with good pedigree over the other candidates, especially a former Senate Leader who did not have a constituency office. Come March 18, we must speak with our vote that the overall welfare of the people is more important than the greed of the desperate few.
