Seyi Makinde reign: A classic case of deception in governance, by Kola Amzat 

There is no iota of doubt that Seyi Makinde is an accidental governor.

When he triumphed at polls during the 2019 governorship election in Oyo state, he was the least expected candidate.

Indeed, he rode to power on the back of prolonged internal wrangling and sharp disagreement amongst the APC leadership hierarchy and more importantly, the stoic resolve of Oyo state citizenry to punish the progressive party in retaliation for the not too salutary tenure of late Abiola Ajimobi in the administration of the state.

Nigerians vividly recall that Seyi Makinde was in the political oblivion…continually languishing in the third or fourth place during the two previous electoral cycles in the governorship contest, before pendulum of victory mysteriously swung onto his side.

And, he came with so much promises-reforms, untainted & unblemished, vibrancy, and ready to lead a state historically and widely acclaimed as the heartbeat and centerpiece of South west geo-political zone.

During his first term tenure, he showed glimpse of the citizenry’s expectation, only to fizzle out just at the commencement of his second tenure. Indeed, his coming back to power has been rocked with harvest of scandals, stumbling from one controversy to another.

Before now, the scandals have been shrouded in secrecy, but it does appears that the lid has been blown opened. The hen has come home to roost.

Suddenly, the truths are unfolding in torrents. Buried facts are now being exhumed.

Details of dirty deals under his watch as governor in the last six years are coming to light.

The most barbaric: Some foreigners warehoused explosive devises and bombs somewhere in Bodija estate, a shouting distance from Agodi governor’s office, but, on account of obvious slack and ineffectiveness in governance, this couldn’t be detected until calamity struck.

The explosive got detonated and by the time the cloud settled, the entire ESTATE was in ruin.

Swiftly, Federal Government moved to provide relief of ₦50 billion for the victims. The fund was handed over to the governor. Sadly the state governor callously released ONLY ₦4.5 billion to the unsuspecting victims. He diverted the remaining sum of ₦45.5 billion to his personal projects.

The above fact is no longer a subject of controversy, as former Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose has provided documentary evidence in this respect.     

 Additionally, Ayo Fayose claimed he has comprehensive documents evidencing the true Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, which he affirmed is way off different from what the governor has publicly been declaring.

He added that he is confident in his claims and would not make such statements without evidence, saying he still has more documents he may release later if needed.

Equally, till date, Seyi Makinde remains one the very few governors that have frustrated the implementation of LGA autonomy despite spirited and determined efforts of federal authority to ensure that this initiative manifests.    .

Indeed, the governor continually divert monthly humongous funds from FAAC meant for LGCs to private accounts, as well as deployment for dubious contracts.  The arrest of the State Accountant-General by the EFCC in March 2022 over an alleged N9bn fraud lend credence to this.

Even despite the arrest, the situation has gone unabated as the governor has chosen to combine the LGAs roles & responsibilities with his executive functions in Agodi office, technically usurping their responsibilities, a development that has completely frustrated the manifestation of tenets and ethos of federalism in the state.

Nigerians also recall that just in September 2025, a whopping ₦300 billion loan contracted on behalf of the state caused controversy, with one opposition lawmaker claiming he was never in the picture of the loan deal arrangement.

Even though, the state government provided a puerile and infantile arguments justifying the loans, that ₦149 billion was meant for refinancing existing loans on better terms, and ₦151 billion for infrastructure investment and contractor financing, the discerning and well-informed Nigerians were convinced that the contracted debt was a channel to further enrich the governor and his cronies, as well as further create booby trap for future administrations.

Of course, there is continual allegation of lack of accountability and total mismanagement of the state’s monthly security votes, lack of transparency in spending, with the stakeholders and opposition members continually demanding for accountability of other funds including that of ecological, and special grants that run into several billion of Naira.

Very sadly, there have been perennial allegation against the governor systematically inflating contract costs, very often immediately after contract reviews. Specific projects cited include:

The renovation of the Agodi Government House, which was awarded for ₦63.5 billion, a figure the opposition and other stakeholders described as totally unacceptable.

The second phase of the Ibadan Circular Road project, with an alleged cost of ₦259 billion is another that is a subject of intense controversy.

Then, there was upgrade of the Ibadan airport, where an additional ₦14.3 billion was reportedly approved without transparency, just after an initial ₦10 billion commitment payment.

Allegations also point to a pattern of awarding contracts without due process and a “friends and family” model, linking specific individuals and their companies to humongous contract sums.

Tragically, stakeholders alleged that that despite significant borrowing, many projects remain incomplete or abandoned.

For the reasons best known to the governor and his administration, several government housing units and land in Government Reserved Areas (GRAs) have been offered for sale to the cronies.

Trans Amusement Park, Samonda, Dandaru/Agodi Gardens and other public leisure centers have also been sold to political allies and cronies of the governor.

‎These are properties that ordinarily supposed to be legacies

The government has made plots of land available for sale in various new and existing GRAs across the state.

Falling into this category are the GRAs named after deceased governors of the state, as well as key political figures in the state.

It’s apparent that the governor has faltered and fallen below citizenry expectation.

Instructively, the anti-corruption agencies of government…EFCC and ICPC are presently constrained, on account of immunity been enjoyed by the governor. They could only move when the governor completes his tenure and vacate office.

The onus is therefore on the house of assembly to move with the process of impeachment against the governor.

But, will this manifest with Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin in control, a widely acknowledged puppet of the governor.

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.