Ib. North Fed. Constituency By-Election: Before His Imperial Excellency, Saint Oluwaseyi Makinde Begins A Camping Of Lamentations || Sola Abegunde
Precisely, on Saturday, August 16, 2025, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC will conduct By election to fill the vacant seat for the Ibadan North Federal Constituency.
The seat became vacant as a result of the unfortunate demise of Hon. Olaide Akinremi aka Jagaban, who died over a year ago.
Definitely, the election is going to be a straightforward fight between the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The late Hon. Akinremi was elected under the platform of the APC.
To say that the election will be fiercely contested battle between Makinde’s PDP and the APC is an understatement because, there so much at stake.
There is so much to fight for in Ibadan North and Governor Makinde, I’m sure, will be prepared to give the election whatever it takes.
He will obviously lead the charge on behalf of his Party, the PDP and before he pollutes the Campaign grounds with an orchestrated Campaign of calumny and deceits, some of us owe the public the duty to warn voters ahead of time and assist the public in setting the template for a robust campaign grounded on issues and devoid of toxic propaganda, half-truths and outright lies.
I can easily predict Governor Makinde.
He must be warming up to incite the public against the opposition by telling them that APC represents all the woes befalling them, even before they were born.
In fact, he will want to say that those who could not impregnate their wives are being afflicted by the APC.
He will point to the high prices of this and that and say that APC was responsible for even the Israel vs Iran war.
I am not saying that the APC is a Party populated by Saints while the PDP is evil but the reverse is also not the case.
Governor Makinde would want the public to believe that when you talk of the devil, then, all eyes must be turned towards Abuja but what of Agodi?
Things are tough. Prices of food and essential commodities are increasing on a daily basis but who exactly must we hold responsible?
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has granted the ownership of Land excluding the waterways to the Governors.
In other words, the responsibilities for food security rested solely on the Governor of a state who has ownership of Land.
Oyo state is blessed with arable land mass good enough to grow food and cash crops in large quantities.
I am sure that is why Governor Makinde campaigned vigorously in 2019, promising to leverage on the availability of Land to invest in Agriculture.
Remember, he promised that within a year of his Government, he would have increased the IGR of Oyo state to the extent that he wouldn’t have to wait for the monthly Allocations from Abuja to run the state.
What has happened to that promise today?
He also promised to invest in the planting of maize to the extent that Oyo state will be exporting maize to Botswana.
If Governor Makinde kept that promise, it would have meat that Oyo state would have maize in abundance for local consumption to the extent that the excess would be exported.
Where is the maize? Or, is it that Tinubu prevented him from fulfilling the campaign promises upon which the people of Oyo state gave him their votes?
Before Governor Makinde took over in 2019, he went to court to stop the outgoing Government of Ajimobi from accessing a Loan of over 7 billion Naira on the excuse that he wanted to use the money for the upgrade of the Farm Settlements belonging to Oyo state.
Several billions of Naira, either as Loan or direct funding from the Budget have been expended on Agribusiness but as we speak, Oyo state does not own a plot of farm anywhere.
Neighbouring States like Ogun and Lagos have been producing Rice through different initiatives but Oyo is producing nothing.
The unfortunate part of the story is the fact that the Eruwa Farm Settlement has been handed over to some unknown entities and as we speak, the Akufo Farm Settlement is going the way of Eruwa Farm Settlement.
Yet, Governor Makinde would want the public to believe that Tinubu must be blamed for the high cost of food products in Oyo state!
We have the Land. The climate is good and Governor Makinde kept budgeting and spending money on Agribusiness despite the fact that we are producing nothing.
Sadly, Oyo state still relies on the North for the supplies of pepper, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, onion and beans which we can easily grow here in Oyo state with the exception of onions.
Why is it that the prices of the above listed commodities and others are cheaper in places like Nassarawa, Niger Sokoto, Kebbi and other states in the North?
What did Governor Makinde spend billions of Naira to send our young men to study in Nassarawa state?
Definitely, the Governors in those States are getting something right and which we have been getting wrong and Governor Makinde, not Tinubu must accept responsibilities for that.
The Local Government is Constitutionally recognized as the third tier of Government in Nigeria but Governor Seyi Makinde said, contrary to the letters of that Constitution, he doesn’t believe in the existence of the Local Governments.
Not only did he say so. He has put his belief into practice by starving the Local Governments of funds released in their names as monthly Allocations.
The resultant effects of Governor Seyi Makinde’s stifling of the 33 Local Governments is the hardship we are witnessing in Oyo state and I will break it down.
In a very recent research conducted by an online Medium, it is revealed that in the month of April, 2025, most Local Governments in Oyo state received around 500 million Naira as monthly Allocations, some of them got more than that, the sum of money represents statutory monthly Allocations excluding other revenues.
Question is, how much did Governor Makinde release to each Local Government for the month of April, 2025?
Just recently, Oyo East Local Government went about begging just because the Council Secretariat Building needs to be renovated.
A Local Government that the Revenue Mobilization Committee just released about 500 million Naira to!
I have raised series of allegations about the illegal meddling of Governor Makinde regarding Local Governments resources.
The Governor himself owned up that he has been ‘ partnering ‘ with Local Governments to do some projects.
I said it and I am repeating it here, such ‘ partnership ‘ that affords the Governor to give illegal instructions to Local Governments to move their monthly Allocations to a specific Local Government where the Governor would now corner it, is not only illegal, it is one of the reasons there has been no developments in the Local Governments.
It is also part of what occasioned hardship in Oyo state.
Governor Makinde has deprived the Local Governments the Constitutional rights to collect IGR in Parks, Garages and other avenues.
He is the one spending the monthly Allocations meant for the developments of the 33 Local Governments and illegally so.
If these Local Governments have access to their funds, they will also have the benefits of giving out small contracts and engage artisans to work at sites.
This would have impacted positively on trade and commerce but alas! That is not to be.
President Tinubu removed fuel subsidies and it occasioned some hardships but he also increased monthly Allocations to States and Local Governments tremendously to the extent that they have tripled.
Governor Makinde must give accounts for the tripled monthly Allocations for Oyo state and the 33 Local Governments before he will have the mouth to say that the APC is responsible for the hardships in Oyo state.
If he gets on the podium, believing he will incite the public against the opposition, when he has not provided credible explanations regarding the questions above, he definitely must be prepared for serious backlash.
The amount we are talking about here is huge.
They are public funds which the Governor must be prepared to account for.
The unfortunate part of this whole story is that Governor Makinde’s borrowing spree is not limited to the State alone
He has also committed the Local Governments to serious debts.
Local Governments where nothing is happening. No projects. Nothing. Despite the fact that huge sums of money are being received monthly, yet, surprisingly, they are in debts!
Just recently, he got approval to borrow a sum of 200 billion Naira and a couple of days ago, the Oyo state House of Assembly approved a supplementary Budget running closely to 300 billion Naira.
Presently, the exact debts profile of Oyo state and the 33 Local Governments are a mystery known only to the Governor.
It does look like he himself is ashamed to talk about it.
Therefore , before he gets on the podium to talk about the chaff in the eyes of others, he should first remove the logs in his own eyes.
Almost 20 billion Naira of Local Government funds committed to the building of Garages.
Almost 40 billion Naira of Local Government funds committed to Light Up Oyo, a failed contract which Governor Makinde himself admitted to!
Almost a billion Naira to award a contract for the supplies of exercise books to cronies at very ridiculous and outrageous prices.
These issues will no longer remain under the carpet.
I am seriously looking forward to the campaign period.
I can see an effigy getting ready to swim in a furiously flowing river.
