Makinde: Legacy and Loyalty | Muftau Gbadegesin
The last seven years of Governor Seyi Makinde’s leadership in Oyo State have undoubtedly brought both the good, the bad, and the ugly in equal measure.
That, of course, tells a lot about what the governor has done differently: the choices he has made, policies he has enacted, successes he has recorded, challenges he has confronted, and most importantly, the kind of legacy he is preparing to leave behind.
From the powerful coalition that powered his rise to power, to the political fisticuff that tore the APC apart in the two successive elections, to the intense dogfights that trailed the sharing of political spoils, especially in his first term, to the epic rift he engineered in the supremacy battle among the monarchs and the deliberate underdevelopment of the grassroots, Governor Makinde has, without any equivocation, had a taste of what we might call the ‘bittersweet experience of Nigerian politics.’
For all the praises and punches that have rocked his administration, Governor Makinde has, quite plainly, etched his name in the sand of time as one of Oyo State’s era-defining leaders in modern times. For one thing, most of his administration’s signatures are dotted across the state’s curves and contours with distinguishing gusto.
The 351 Primary Health Centers across all the wards in the state stand as one of the hallmarks of his visionary leadership. In the way the business of governance is conducted, particularly in the inner chambers of power, Makinde’s crystal transformation has both illuminated the path of those that root for its success but equally cleared the way for those who stand against the very ideals and principles that underpin his leadership style.
To many of his admirers, GSM is the sort of gentle but firm leader who delivers on his promises, surpasses expectations, outwits his opponents, and sets the bar way higher for those coming behind. But to his traducers, Makinde is no more than a populist, urbanist and maximalist who frittered away with people’s goodwill.
As the 2027 elections gather steam, Governor Makinde and his lieutenants are racing toward stamping their feet on the eternal history of the state. Not surprisingly, he once declared an intention to run for the presidency. “That was merely a face-saving tactic to help boost the electability and credibility of his hand-picked national assembly candidates,” many critically argued. Factually, the performances of his party’s flagbearers for the Senate and House of Representatives in the 2019 and 2023 general elections, to put it, have been ridiculously underwhelming. In that sense, by appearing on the ballot in the first election, the logic goes, electorates will not only vote Makinde for president (an adventure that has failed long before it flies) but also cast their votes for candidates running under his unpopular political party, Allied People’s Movement.
Think of 2019. That was the year Governor Makinde, alongside the fragile coalition that helped him win at the poll, succeeded late Abiola Ajimobi, who, no thanks to late Muhammadu Buhari’s mismanagement of the economy and policy flip-flop, threw the state into the tableau of financial ruins. Particularly, the late Ajimobi government’s inability to settle workers’ salaries, retirees’ pensions, and complete projects, alongside the month-long industrial actions that disrupted academic activities in state-owned tertiary institutions, turned the people against the administration and, of course, toward a potential ‘messiah,’ aka Makinde.
Additionally, the outcry and outrage that followed the levy imposed on school children under late Ajimobi equally became a hot-button political topic. For Makinde and his acolytes, that policy was considered a burden on the already impoverished parents and the single biggest factor that accounts for the uptick in the number of out-of-school children in the state. Clearly, the people wanted a change of leadership and direction. And they wanted a man whose personality contrasted sharply from that of the enigmatic and charismatic ‘constituted authority.’
The rest as they are now history. As the countdown to the end of Makinde’s administration began, two crucial strands of questions emerged: his legacy and the way he rewards loyalty. Said the governor, “I want to be remembered not for the roads we built but by the policies we implemented and sanity we brought to the business of governance.” In other words, the governor wants to be remembered more for his institutional legacy than for the fleeting infrastructure scattered across the state’s curves and contours.
But legacy is not up for those in power and their supporters to define based on their whims and caprices. In most cases, as history teaches, legacies are defined by those outside the orbit of power, long after the curtain of an administration has closed.
For a state as big, diverse and complex as Oyo State, the legacy of a governor can never mean the same thing to people across different regions and locations. Accurately, the people’s perception about the legacy of Governor Seyi Makinde would ultimately be influenced not by the beautifully written speeches or well-crafted statements but by their lived experiences. For instance, the governor might argue that his focus as a leader has been to build an enduring institution that will outlive his time in power, but those in the rural and agrarian areas where governance has been nearly absent would beg to differ, rightly so. That kind of lofty vision negates the reality those people have endured for the last seven years.
In many instances, what is defined as a legacy is often shrouded in the way people’s lives have improved when placed side by side with the previous government. That kind of experience is often difficult to quantify because human feeling is fleeting and sometimes defies logic. Still, the road paved, bridges constructed, schools built, salary paid regularly and timely, pension settled, and sanity restored can make the difference in the overall impact of an administration on the people. For that, Governor Makinde has made his mark without any pretension. Despite his flaws, the governor has carried the burdens and blessings that come with his office with grace and remarkable calmness.
As it is often the case when an administration is about to end, the question of who succeeds dominates conversation until the die is finally cast. In various public appearances, for example, GSM has repeatedly proclaimed his preference for a younger politician not more than 52 years of age to fly the flag of his party. That age bracket pitted him against aspirants within his own fold. In the end, Governor Makinde settled for a former deputy chief of staff and commissioner for finance under Abiola Ajimobi, Dare Adekanmbi, as his preferred candidate. He also picked Engr. Muftau Open Salawu, another former chieftain of the APC, as his running mate. That combination has rocked the governor’s camp in a way that threatened the success of the project. Whether that gamble works or not will be left for the people to decide. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did”, Maya Angelou once famously enthused, “But people will never forget how you made them feel”. And how you made them feel may ultimately determine not just your legacy but your loyalty to them.
PLAIN TALK is Muftau Gbadegesin’s commentary on contemporary socio-political Issues affecting Oyo State and beyond. He writes every Saturday and can be reached on Facebook, X, WhatsApp (07051905380) and on Gmail: muftaugbadegesin@gmail.com
