‘Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, whose government is known for removing and suspending council chairmen, has finally summoned the courage to condemn the suspension of his colleague-governor and friend’s mentee, Similayi Fubara, as governor of Rivers State.
Nyesom Wike, Fubara’s predecessor and minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, is at the centre of the feud between Fubara and members of the Rivers Assembly which culminated in the emergency rule in the state.
OYOINSIGHT.COM understands Makinde, Wike and other members of the G-5 were instrumental to the decimation of opposition parties in the country as they allegedly worked against the candidate of their Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the 2023 election.
After many months of throwing spanner in the works of efforts to reposition PDP, Wike’s ministry of FCT had earlier this week revoked the land on which the party’s headquarters was built in Abuja, after failing to fulfill its obligation to government for close to 20 years.
Instead of working to see to the suspension of his closest ally from the PDP for his alleged anti-party activities, Makinde condemned the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of its executive and legislative arms by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the move as “an illegality.”
Stressing the need to protect Nigeria’s democracy, Makinde explained that “The declaration of the State of Emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of the executive and legislative arms of government by the presidency is an illegality that right-thinking members of society must oppose.”
In his weekly newsletter released Thursday night, Makinde highlighted the importance of safeguarding democratic principles, urging Nigerians to stand up for fairness, equity, and justice.
“As our democracy grows and unfolds, we must also be willing to speak up when we see anything that threatens our development as a nation.
“We must choose to stand up for what is right, even if it means standing alone,” Makinde stated.
Makinde’s remarks align with the sentiments expressed by several political stakeholders, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum and former Bayelsa Governor, Seriake Dickson, who have all voiced their opposition to President Tinubu’s actions.
In his newsletter, Makinde praised his party for taking a decisive stance against what he described as an undemocratic move.
“Yesterday, the PDP Governors’ Forum rose from an emergency meeting where we unanimously decided to challenge the actions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a court of competent jurisdiction.
“We cannot fold our hands and watch the democracy we built for almost three decades be trampled upon,” he said.
The Oyo State governor further reinforced the need to protect the peace and stability that have contributed to economic growth and development in different parts of the country.
He pointed to his administration’s ongoing efforts to address security challenges in Oyo State, such as combating errant herdsmen, illegal miners, and criminal elements being pushed out of the North.
“We must do whatever it takes to protect the relative peace that has helped us grow our State’s GDP by over 50% since 2019,” Makinde noted, emphasizing that Nigeria’s democratic tenets must never be compromised, regardless of personal loyalties.
