The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched a fresh attack on Governor Seyi Makinde, alleging that he would have sold Nigeria’s national assets if he had been in the position currently occupied by President Bola Tinubu.
The opposition party also claimed that the difference between Makinde and Tinubu was “like the difference between heaven and earth,” insisting that the President had shown courage in implementing economic reforms despite the challenges facing the country.
The APC made the remarks while reacting to comments credited to Makinde, who criticised Tinubu’s economic policies and declared his readiness to defeat the President in the 2027 general election.
This onine medium reports that Makinde, represented at the unveiling of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) candidates for the 2027 general elections in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Monday, faulted the Federal Government’s economic policies and expressed confidence that Tinubu could be defeated in the next presidential election.
However, the Oyo APC dismissed the governor’s comments, saying Nigerians were fortunate that Makinde was not elected President in the 2023 general election.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Sadare, the APC argued that no amount of criticism against Tinubu would convince Nigerians to entrust Makinde with the country’s leadership.
According to the party, President Tinubu’s economic decisions, though difficult, have received recognition from reputable international institutions and informed observers.
The statement read, “Gov. Makinde can afford to condemn the bold and courageous steps taken by President Bola Tinubu in 2023 as he won’t be playing to the gallery, but all the informed minds and reputable global institutions cannot be wrong in their overwhelming applause to the President who has not only saved Nigeria from imminent collapse and extinction but is also working tirelessly to place the country in its rightful place among the comity of nations.”
The ruling party in Oyo State further accused Makinde of disposing of the state’s assets during his administration, alleging that the assets had been transferred into private hands in exchange for cash.
The APC claimed that if Makinde had become President, he would have gone as far as selling the nation’s strategic assets.
A Makinde who has transferred virtually all the assets of Oyo State to the wrong hands in exchange for cash in seven years would have sold Rivers Niger and Benue as well as the nation’s portion of the Atlantic Ocean if he had the opportunity. To this end, Nigerians will never make the mistake of trusting him with their mandate,” the statement alleged.
The latest exchange highlights the growing political tension between the Oyo State governor and the ruling APC as political activities gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While Makinde has emerged as one of the prominent opposition voices criticising the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, the APC has continued to defend the President’s reforms, insisting that they are necessary for Nigeria’s long-term economic recovery.
The party maintained that despite the current economic hardship, Tinubu’s policies were aimed at repositioning the country and should not be judged solely by their immediate impact.
The APC also insisted that Makinde’s record as governor does not qualify him to seek the nation’s highest office, maintaining that Nigerians would not support his presidential ambition if he decides to contest in 2027.
