In response to Governor Seyi Makinde’s criticisms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for removing the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emphasized that Makinde lacks the authority to make such comments.
Expressing their stance on Tuesday, the party stated that Makinde is the singular governor who has openly criticized Tinubu in this regard.
According to the statement released by the Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Olawale Sadare, Makinde had refrained from criticizing the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, highlighting a double standard in his approach.
Sadare further pointed out that Makinde opportunistically attempted to divert attention from the state’s challenges by casting blame on the federal government during a recent labor protest.
The party urged Makinde to focus on resolving state-specific issues rather than targeting Tinubu.
Sadare remarked, “Governor Makinde has displayed a pattern of misleading the public and deflecting blame due to his governance shortcomings. It is intriguing that the majority PDP-led State House of Assembly echoed the governor’s sentiments, indicating a coordinated effort.”
“It is noteworthy that out of all the governors, Governor Makinde stands alone in consistently shifting blame to the sitting President for his lackluster performance in his state. He criticized President Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidy, citing it as premature and ill-conceived. This mirrors his actions towards former President Buhari during his tenure from 2019 to 2023, where his aloofness from the federal government deprived the state of numerous opportunities,” Sadare continued.
“Why should President Tinubu be faulted for halting extravagant spending on fuel subsidy when such a move has resulted in increased allocations for the state over the past nine months, despite minimal progress?”
“Since May last year, the Oyo State government has received over N207 billion in federal allocations, excluding funds allocated to the 33 local government councils which the governor has reportedly redirected for his own use.”
“Despite these substantial funds, Governor Makinde continues to accumulate debt through loans, grants, internal revenue generation, and unauthorized sales of government assets without transparent financial reporting. In light of this, who will address the prevalent issues of hunger, poverty, and unemployment in Oyo State when the governor persistently engages in reckless spending, capital flight, and mismanagement of resources?”