The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde’s two-hour media engagement, accusing him of failing to address issues it described as critical to residents of the state.
APC said the governor’s appearance on a privately owned radio station in Ibadan on Sunday offered an opportunity to explain his administration’s performance and respond to pressing concerns but was instead dominated by issues it considered irrelevant to the immediate needs of the people.
In a statement issued on Monday by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the opposition party also linked the reported resignation of Makinde’s Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, to what it described as signs of trouble within the state government.
Sadare said the early Monday resignation was an “ominous sign” that all was not well with the administration, urging Makinde to retrace his steps and seek assistance from appropriate quarters within and outside Oyo State.
According to the APC, residents had expected the governor to use the media engagement to provide explanations on developments affecting key sectors of the state and the welfare of its citizens.
The party also questioned Makinde’s decision to use a privately owned radio station for the engagement, while accusing his administration of neglecting the state-owned Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS).
“Many people have queried the choice of a privately owned radio station for Gov. Makinde’s media engagement,” the party said, alleging that BCOS had become “moribund” under the governor.
APC alleged that government-owned properties belonging to the corporation had been sold at what it described as ridiculous prices, while some of its studios had been abandoned and workers subjected to poor treatment.
The opposition party further criticised Makinde’s handling of the recent kidnapping of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members from Oyo State in Imo State.
It said residents wanted the governor to explain his role in securing their release and clarify what his administration had done for the affected young people and their parents following the incident.
APC also raised concerns over the reported abduction of three staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), calling for an explanation of the government’s efforts to secure their release and tackle what it described as rising insecurity in the state.
The party accused Makinde of spending much of the media engagement discussing his reported presidential ambition and alleged disagreement with President Bola Tinubu.
According to APC, the governor told his audience that his decision to enter the presidential race was partly in protest against an alleged disappointment he experienced from Tinubu.
The opposition party argued that Makinde should instead have used the platform to account for how his administration was deploying the substantial allocations and federal interventions accruing to the state.
APC also renewed its opposition to the reported plan to spend N21 billion on the redevelopment of the Agbowo Shopping Complex in Ibadan, describing the facility as “moribund and looted”.
The party recalled Makinde’s earlier statement that his administration would not award new contracts after December 31, 2025, and urged him to abandon the proposed expenditure on the shopping complex.
“It is right to say that good governance went on holiday on May 29, 2019,” APC said, adding that the situation had worsened because of what it called the governor’s misplaced political ambition.
The latest criticism adds to the growing political exchanges between the Oyo APC and the Makinde administration as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections intensify.
