EXCLUSIVE: How Makinde’s Rejection Of Governorship Search C’tee Report Soiled Relationship With Oduyoye, Others

OYOINSIGHT.COM has obtained further details about the love-turned-sour relationship between ‘Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State and his erstwhile political adviser, Babatunde Oduyoye.

Babs Oduyoye, as the two-term former member of the house of representatives’, who represented Ibadan North West/South West federal constituency between 2003-2007, is fondly called, had resigned his membership of the Makinde’s advisory council Monday morning.

The experienced politician whose last political membership was of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, and had accepted Makinde’s appointment based on friendship as he consulted for him before he became governor, said that personal exigencies have constrained his continued participation in the August body.

But beyond that, sources familiar with development between Makinde and Oduyoye said the former green chambers member had worked with the governor as political adviser between 2019 and 2023 “but it was an adviser of convenience by Makinde. He only calls him for advise when he appears to be in a fix. Oduyoye was never involved directly in critical decision making. While he occupied the title of special adviser political and strategy, he didn’t know the governor himself wanted to be called the strategist, so gradually Makinde took over as the chief political strategist. In order to stop Oduyoye from leaving his government in 2023, he promptly appointed him into advisory council when he attained 60. But it was largely a window dressing appointment.”

“The last straw that created irreconcilable division between him and the governor was the manner Makinde treated the report of the screening committee of the advisory council on the 2027 governorship candidate. The committee, it was gathered, had recommended a retired former commisioner of police, Fatai Owoseni, but the governor threw away the report and without recourse to members, singlehandedly choosing Bimbo Adekanmbi.

“The governor’s decision also led to a spat with a prominent former senator, who is also in the advisory council, who confronted the governor.  Makinde had told the former lawmaker, “Distinguished Senator, please leave that matter, Compol Owoseni only knows about security. He doesn’t know much about administration.”

OYOINSIGHT.COM also gathered that more aggrieved leaders are still hanging with one leg within Makinde’s PDP/APM alliance in Oyo State.