Makinde scores Tinubu administration 34 per cent

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has scored President Bola Tinubu’s administration 34 per cent, saying the government has failed to secure the support of a majority of Nigerians. Makinde gave the assessment during an interview with Arise Television, where he was asked to evaluate the administration’s performance in infrastructure, diplomacy and economic growth.

He likened the score to the percentage of Nigerians who supported Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, arguing that the President needed to win over those who voted against him to build a national consensus. “It’s just about the same percentage as the people that supported him in 2023, 34 per cent. You need the 66 per cent of Nigerians that were against him in 2023 to be on board.

This is a national project,” he said. The governor also criticised what he described as pressure on elected officials to join the ruling All Progressives Congress, alleging that some governors were compelled to defect. “Look at what we’ve seen. You have the governors come to APC. If you don’t, you’ll be blackmailed,” he said. Makinde, who is seeking the presidency in 2027 under the Action Peoples Party (APM), also addressed whether he would accept defeat if the election was free, fair and credible.

Responding to a question on whether he would concede defeat and retire to farming, the governor said he would accept the outcome if the electoral process met the required standards. “There are a few things that must happen. If the process is free, fair, and credible, yes, I will,” he said. However, when asked whether he would remain in the APM after the election, Makinde said his political future would depend on how Nigerians received his political agenda.

“I may evaluate my political future depending on how Nigerians, you know, see this agenda,” he added.