Prince Dotun Oyelade has said the springs of successes recorded by Governor ‘Seyi Makinde have thrown up the dilemma of who will eventually succeed him as the governor of Oyo State in 2027.
Oyelade, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation stated this on Thursday, just as he identified what he termed a paradox in Governor Makinde’s succession issue.
The commissioner expressed this view at the maiden matriculation ceremony of students of Impact School of Broadcasting and Communication (ISBC) in Ibadan.
Prince Oyelade is a veteran broadcast journalist who has worked with three different governors across four administrations in the state.
He said: I pity the person who will succeed Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, considering the unequalled performance regime that the incumbent will leave behind by May 2027.
“Even as an insider in this administration, I cannot but be anxious about who will take over from ‘Seyi Makinde as Governor in 2027.”
Prince Oyelade noted that Governor Makinde did not only surpass the expectations of many when he took over the helm of affairs of the state, but has also bequeathed onto his would-be successor an unassailable record of performance.
“In 2019 when the ‘Seyi Makinde administration started, many thought that governance will be a huge challenge, given the hydra-headed situation we met on the ground, particularly finance.
“But Governor ‘Seyi Makinde had clearly shown that where there is a will, there is a way; much more so, when the way is driven by prudence, data, science and smartness.
“The first four years of his administration set unprecedented records, while the first two years of the second term surpassed those achievements,” Oyelade said.
The Information Commissioner stated that the governor has changed the narrative from the general belief that when an administration succeeds in its re-election bid, it becomes complacent to the promises it had made to the people.
He said the frenetic pace in the provision of infrastructures and keeping faith with the welfare of government workers has given the laughable impression that Governor Makinde is running for a third term.
“In December 2024, a few weeks after Governor ‘Seyi Makinde promised the ₦80,000 minimum wage for the over 130,000 state workers, two permanent secretaries came to my office and asked me confidentially, how the governor was going to implement the promise which amounts to over ₦14billion every month and still able to continue with ambitious infrastructural projects.
“I told them jocularly that if a man says that he has bitten the bullet for the people of Oyo State, he must have a magic wand up his sleeve.
“Well, as we all know, he has paid the ₦14billion three times between January and March this year, and he will continue to do so till the end of May, 2027.
“As I talk to you, the 32.2km East Wing of the Ibadan Circular Road, which will be the first motorway in Nigeria, will be commissioned in the near future.
“Apart from this, 334 km of roads have been constructed and rehabilitated across the state; more than half of them in the last two years.
“It is up in the air if the Game-changer Governor will succeed in persuading the people to follow his governorship nominee if he has any, or the people will follow their own heart as they did in 2019, or even take a gamble into the unknown? Only time will tell.
“But one thing is clear, this governor will not give the impression of a lame-duck because he will keep performing till the wee hours of May 29. 2027,” the Oyelade said.
