Makinde’s Fresh FM Media Chat: Reset BCOS Before Reset Nigeria

Governor Seyi Makinde’s media chat on Fresh FM 105.9, Ibadan, on Sunday, October 11, 2026, has raised a fundamental question about the priorities of an administration whose leader is positioning himself for the 2027 presidential election: if the governor is talking about resetting Nigeria, what has he done to strengthen the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), the state-owned media institution under his watch? The programme, hosted by veteran broadcaster Mayor Isaac Brown, provided Makinde with an opportunity to discuss his political ambition and proposed Government of National Unity. Yet, the choice of a privately operated radio station for such a major engagement invites scrutiny of the government’s commitment to its own public broadcasting institution. Before talking about resetting Nigeria, the governor must be prepared to answer questions about the state institutions he has had the opportunity to influence.

The decision to appear on Fresh FM is not, in itself, an offence. A governor has every right to engage with private broadcasters, and independent media platforms play an important role in democratic accountability. However, the public is entitled to ask why BCOS was not the platform for a major media chat by the governor of Oyo State. What is the condition of the corporation’s facilities? Is its technical infrastructure adequate? Does it have the personnel, equipment and editorial capacity to host a comprehensive gubernatorial interview? Was BCOS considered, and if it was, why was another platform preferred? These are not trivial questions. They go to the heart of the government’s responsibility to maintain public institutions capable of serving the people. If BCOS requires investment, modernisation or administrative reform, the governor’s first responsibility is to explain what his administration has done and what remains to be done. A state-owned broadcaster should not be reduced to an afterthought while the government promotes a wider vision of national transformation.

Mayor Isaac Brown also deserves scrutiny, not because he hosted the governor on Fresh FM, but because a high-profile interview with a sitting governor seeking the presidency presents an important opportunity to interrogate power. Beyond political declarations and presidential ambitions, residents of Oyo State need answers about governance, public expenditure, infrastructure delivery, employment, education, healthcare and the performance of government agencies. Did the conversation adequately examine the administration’s record? Were the costs, completion timelines and public benefits of major projects critically assessed? Were questions about BCOS and the government’s investment in public broadcasting raised? A robust media chat should not merely provide a platform for a political leader to communicate his ambitions; it should enable the audience to evaluate those ambitions against a verifiable record. The credibility of political journalism rests on the willingness to ask difficult questions, demand clarification and follow up when answers are incomplete. Mayor Isaac Brown had an opportunity to help viewers and listeners assess the governor’s claims against the realities confronting ordinary residents.

The governor’s statements about government projects and public resources must equally be subjected to independent scrutiny. Public infrastructure is financed with resources that belong to the people, making transparency over contract awards, project costs, completion status and measurable benefits indispensable. If Makinde made statements during the interview about the financial value of projects or the resources expended on them, those statements should be examined against official budget documents, procurement records, audited accounts and other verifiable evidence. Any suggestion that the governor boasted about stolen public funds must, however, be supported by his exact words and reliable evidence; expenditure on a government project does not, by itself, establish theft or corruption. The proper challenge is to demand accountability: how much was budgeted, how much was spent, what was delivered and whether the people received value for their money. A governor aspiring to lead Nigeria should welcome such scrutiny as an opportunity to demonstrate transparency rather than expect political declarations to substitute for evidence.

Makinde’s presidential ambition places his record in Oyo State under an even brighter spotlight. His proposed vision for Nigeria will inevitably invite questions about how he has managed institutions, public resources and governance responsibilities at the state level. BCOS provides a particularly relevant test case: what is its present operational condition, what investments has the administration made in its modernisation, and what measurable improvements can the government point to? These questions deserve clear answers from the administration. The same standard should apply to Mayor Isaac Brown’s interview and to every media platform that hosts public officials. The objective should be to move beyond political messaging towards meaningful public examination of policy, performance and institutional development.

The message is straightforward: before selling Nigerians a promise to reset the country, Makinde must be ready to explain the state of the institutions within his own sphere of responsibility. The Fresh FM media chat may have served as a platform for his national political aspirations, but it has also created an opportunity to ask what those aspirations mean for BCOS and other public institutions in Oyo State. The people deserve a broadcasting corporation that is properly equipped, professionally managed and capable of holding public officials accountable. If the ambition is to reset Nigeria, the conversation should begin with demonstrable results at home. Reset BCOS before Reset Nigeria.

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