Humbled Seyi Makinde!, by Kola Amzat 

In recent time, this is about the fourth or fifth Piece this writer is availing the readers on Oyo state governor-Seyi Makinde and his mode of governance and the Write-up may as well be the last on him, at least in this dispensation, as the hen has come to roost.

There is absolutely nothing to add to the aforementioned contributions, concerning the way and manner the governor has fared in governance, especially during his second term spell.

Even while he’s in charge of the state, the carpet has been removed off his foot by the political master who is sufficiently grounded, schooled and rooted in the political chess game.

Success in politics is not by arrogance, grandstanding and unnecessary exuberance, but it’s rooted in shrewdness, superior tactics, discerning heart and focus.

Right there in the governor’s nose, a U.I. Professor of food technology was identified and elected as chairman of PDP. Of course, Seyi Makinde didn’t see that coming.

It’s very doubtful if the governor is even conscious of the party membership of the University don, talk less of moving against his election as the new state chairman of the party, as well as other newly constituted EXCO members.

That’s the best way to treat an arrogant and proud person. Almighty God himself detest and abhor people with this attitude like plague.

Some few days back, a former deputy governor of the state during administration of deceased Otunba Alao Akala, Alhaji Gbolarumi asserted boldly that he’s firmly in control of PDP structure in the state, an indication that the governor has been completely shoved aside, even when his tenure still remains more than one year to expire.

National Working Committee (NWC) that he squandered Oyo state several hundreds of billions of resources to constitute during the ill-fated Ibadan convention is dead, as the committee have not only been declared illegal by High and Appellate courts, it’s also been rejected by the party’s authentic Caretaker Committee.

Surely, Seyi Makinde and his rejected National Working Committee, are about to return to their vomit as Wike backed caretaker committee has expressly affirmed that if they desire reconciliation, they must come to round table with HUMILITY AND REMORSE with their requests which are only subject to formal consideration by the caretaker committee.

In the political pendulum, where does this place the governor?

In the unfolding drama, Seyi Makinde has completely lost his leadership role in the party. From been a key and highly revered leader of the party, the governor has become an ordinary follower, who must take order.

It’s instructive to note that the governor remains the only PDP governor that the president and APC leadership hierarchy are not comfortable with, as they’ve severally blocked all his attempts to defect to the ruling party, while all other governors, including the Chairman, PDP governors’ forum-Bauchi’s Bala Mohammed  have all defected.     

Technically, he has lost his esteemed position of deputy national chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

Most importantly, he has completely lost face with the president. It’s in the public domain that the president is no longer comfortable with him, be it on state matters or at personal level, a development that has unfortunately pitched the Oyo state against federal authority.

The governor’s travel may not be unconnected with some mis-steps and mis-calculations he got entangled in the recent past.

Firstly, against all odds and out of officialdom, the president approved ₦50 billion for the state to provide SUCCOR for the victims of the bomb blast that engulfed Bodija estate, who lost valuables and loved ones.   

Just after the bomb blast, ₦30 billion of the fund was immediately disturbed into the account of the state.    

Until about one or two years when the matter came to fore, the governor never disbursed a single kobo to any of the victims.

From the governor’s tale by moonlight, he confessed that he warehoused the ₦30 billion, while awaiting the remaining ₦20 billion to be disbursed by the federal authority. Who does that and go scot free?

How would providence not fight back for the innocent and hapless victims of the blast who he denied of their legitimate bail-out from the federal government?

Secondly, it’s in the public domain that he came a distant third and fourth during the two gubernatorial contests he earlier involved in the state, until his third attempt when key figures in the political space in conjunction with Barr Wike Nyesom handed him the PDP structure before he could made headway.    

Presently, the governor is at daggers drawn with those political benefactors-Wike Nyesom, Halleluyah of Oke Ogun, Gbolarumi in Ibadan, including, the present Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rasheed Ladoja.

Thirdly, under the guise of funding infrastructural developments across the state, the governor has appropriated several hundreds of billions onto his personal estate from the state treasury, enough to last for his first, second, third and fourth generations. This is at the expense of long-suffering, very oppressed, traumatized and deprived people of the state and he expects providence not to fight for them?

Most importantly, the governor has severally trampled on the newly crowned Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Akeem Owoade with so much impunity for no justifiable reasons other than the resolve of the monarch to uphold the ancient town’s TRADITION, CULTURES AND CUSTOMS.

In the governor quest to stir confusion and disunity across the state, he commandeered, as well as mandated the state house of assembly members to EXHUME and amend the controversial chairmanship of Council of Obas & Chiefs Act to rotational chairmanship, as against the old Act that recognized the monarch as permanent chairman.

On account of this absurdity, the monarch has been dutifully boycotting the meetings of the Council of Obas & Chiefs. Or what does the governor expect the monarch to do in the face of deliberate assault and harassment?

Not done, the governor moved further in his attempt to create anarchy in the ancient town by crowning Alago Oja of Ago Oja, and other 13 chiefs in Oyo kingdom, against the pronouncement and verdict of the Supreme Court for the same purpose.

His action was a deliberate attempt not only to render the town UNGOVERNABLE for the monarch, but to create an atmosphere of disorderliness and confusion across the length & breadth of the kingdom.

The governor would be totally wrong if he harbours the belief that the monarch’s forebears and ancestors of the ancient kingdom  would not fight back and in greater measures!

To avert further POLITICAL calamity and disgrace, the governor must make atonement; seek forgiveness from the monarch and others who he has gravely crossed their path.                        

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB, ACS),

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants, 09077509348