...To get all news updates, Join our WhatsApp Group (Click Here)
Connect with us on Linkedin (Click Here)
The Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, FNSE, has formally explained to Nigerians why he has turned from one of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s strongest supporters in 2023 to his challenger in the 2027 presidential election.
In a lengthy and emotionally charged newsletter titled “RESET NIGERIA”, released by his campaign organisation, Governor Makinde declared that his decision to run for President was not born out of personal disagreement or ambition to occupy Aso Rock, but out of what he described as a deep concern for the future of Nigeria and the dwindling opportunities available to Nigerians.
“I supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023. Today, I am running against him in the 2027 presidential election. Some people have asked what changed. Others believe there must have been a personal disagreement between us. My decision is not about a personal disagreement or an ambition to occupy Aso Rock. It is about the future of Nigeria and the opportunities available to Nigerians,” Makinde stated.
The Governor, who is contesting on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) / APM as widely reported, said he supported President Tinubu in 2023 because he believed the President could bring Nigerians together to build a government of national unity and competence, confront the nation’s economic challenges and create opportunities for citizens to build better lives.
Three years later, he said, he no longer believes the Tinubu administration is taking Nigeria in that direction.
THE NIGERIA THAT GAVE HIM A CHANCE
In the newsletter, Makinde took Nigerians down memory lane, recounting his humble background as a child of a lower-middle-class family. His father, he said, was a teacher who later retrained to become an accountant, while his mother was a civil servant who worked as a telephone operator.
“We were not wealthy. But we lived in a Nigeria where an ordinary family could reasonably believe that education, hard work and determination would give their children a better life,” he wrote.
Makinde, who attended Bishop Phillips Academy in Ibadan and later studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Lagos, said his education gave him the foundation to build a career in engineering. He specialised in industrial measurement and safety systems and at 29, established Makon Engineering and Technical Services, a business that eventually grew beyond Nigeria.
“I did not achieve this because I came from a wealthy or politically connected family. I had an education, acquired useful skills, found opportunities and worked to make the most of them. Nigeria gave me the opportunity to live my dreams. And that is what troubles me about the Nigeria we have today,” he said.
He then posed a series of rhetorical questions that have since generated massive reactions across the political space:
“How many young Nigerians can confidently expect the same opportunities? How many can complete their education, acquire useful skills, find meaningful work or start a business with a reasonable expectation that it will succeed? How many parents can confidently tell their children that if they work hard and do the right things, they will have a better life?”
According to him, while the Nigeria of his youth was not perfect, it gave people like him a chance — a chance he believes every Nigerian deserves.
WHY HE ENTERED POLITICS
Makinde explained that for years, he tried to help people through philanthropy, supporting education, assisting individuals and families, and contributing to his community. But he soon realised there was a limit to what he could accomplish by giving away part of his wealth.
“I could help someone pay school fees or start a business. But what about the millions of Nigerians who needed those same opportunities? Over time, it became clearer to me that if I wanted to make a greater difference, I needed to help create the conditions that would allow people to build better lives for themselves. That was what led me into politics,” he said.
He recalled his repeated failures between 2007 and 2015, when he sought a seat in the Senate twice and failed, contested for Governor and failed, but refused to give up.
In 2019, the people of Oyo State elected him as Governor. He said he entered office without a political godfather, noting that he had often said he had no godfather, only God the Father.
“Suddenly, the things I had spent years discussing were no longer theories. I had the responsibility to put them into practice. Seven years later, I am proud of what we have accomplished in Oyo State. We have demonstrated that a government can make a real difference when it focuses on creating opportunities, building institutions and following through on decisions,” Makinde said.
He admitted that governing is very different from running a successful business, adding that he has made mistakes, acknowledged them and apologised when necessary, but that those experiences have only strengthened his belief that Nigeria can work for Nigerians.
WHY HE CANNOT WAIT TILL 2031
Makinde, who declared his intention to run for President on 14 May 2026, said many people asked why he was in such a hurry, suggesting he could wait until 2031 or even 2035.
His response was blunt: Nigeria cannot afford to wait.
“I look at the Nigeria we have today, and I wonder what opportunities will remain for our children if we continue on this trajectory for another four years. I look at young people who have worked hard, obtained qualifications and acquired skills but cannot find meaningful employment. I see businesses struggling with electricity costs, transportation expenses and an economic environment that makes it difficult to grow. I see parents who have done everything they can for their children but are no longer confident those children will have better lives,” he lamented.
He also noted that many Nigerians have become so disappointed in government that they no longer believe their votes can make a difference, a disappointment he said he understands because Nigerians have heard promises before and seen governments come and go, yet too many are still struggling to survive.
“But I refuse to believe that this is all Nigeria can become. I know what this country made possible for me. And I believe we can build a Nigeria where those opportunities are available to millions more people,” he declared.
Makinde added that governing Oyo State taught him another bitter lesson: no matter how well a state is governed, its progress can be undermined by poor decisions taken at the federal level.
“I am concerned that if we get the next four years wrong, the damage to our economy, our institutions and the prospects of another generation could become much harder to reverse. That is why I cannot wait. And it is why I believe we must change direction in 2027,” he said.
WHY HE LOST CONFIDENCE IN PRESIDENT TINUBU
In the most politically explosive section of the newsletter, Makinde listed four reasons why he lost confidence in President Tinubu, whom he once supported for his ability to build bridges across political divides.
First, economic stability without economic development. He acknowledged improvements in some macroeconomic indicators, but argued that government revenues and external reserves mean little to ordinary Nigerians if those gains do not translate into productive businesses, jobs, better incomes and improved living conditions. He insisted that economic stabilisation and development are not necessarily sequential, and Nigerians did not have to endure hardship while waiting for development to begin.
Second, governing by excuses. According to Makinde, every government inherits problems, but it is elected to solve them. He lamented that over three years into the Tinubu administration, Nigerians are still hearing explanations about inherited poverty, insecurity, electricity problems and other challenges, when they should be seeing more measurable progress.
Third, building political power instead of national unity. He said he believed Tinubu’s ability to build political alliances would translate into a government that brought capable Nigerians together around a shared national interest. Instead, he said, those alliances now serve the President’s political objectives more than the national interest, expressing deep concern about the weakening of opposition parties, which he said are essential to a functioning democracy.
Fourth, economic reforms without adequate protection for Nigerians. Makinde said he supported the need to reform the petrol subsidy and foreign-exchange systems, but expected those reforms to be implemented with adequate preparation. Instead, he said, millions of already struggling Nigerians were exposed to further hardship before sufficient protective measures were in place.
“These are not simply political disagreements. They reflect a fundamental difference in how I believe government should work and whose interests should come first,” he said.
WHAT HE WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY ON SUBSIDY
Using petrol subsidy removal as an example, Makinde said he would have used the presidential transition period to prepare for the removal.
He reminded Nigerians that President Tinubu, back in 2012 when President Goodluck Jonathan attempted to remove petrol subsidy, publicly opposed abrupt removal, arguing against the hardship it would impose on Nigerians. He also said Tinubu witnessed the petrol and naira scarcity crises leading up to the 2023 elections and spoke publicly about their effects.
“Upon assuming office, I would have convened the National Economic Council to agree on a coordinated response with state governors. We could have identified the interventions required to protect Nigerians, agreed on how they would be funded and established how the Federal Government, states and local governments would work together to deliver them. And Nigerians would have been able to see how much was being spent, who was benefiting and what results were being achieved,” Makinde explained.
He cited Oyo State’s own response as proof that swift action was possible. According to him, when subsidy removal was announced, his government immediately began consultations with organised labour and introduced measures to reduce transportation costs. Within eleven days, he said, the state announced the deployment of additional Omituntun buses, maintained existing fares and introduced half-price travel for students and senior citizens.
By August 2023, he said, the state had introduced the Sustainable Actions for Economic Recovery (SAfER) programme, which provided food relief to 200,000 vulnerable households, subsidised public transport and supported small businesses and farmers with loans and agricultural inputs.
“Our approach was simple: provide immediate relief while developing measures to help people earn a living. Good leadership requires more than making economically sound decisions. It requires understanding how those decisions will affect the people you have been elected to serve. Nigerians deserved better preparation and better protection. And that is the difference in our approach to governance,” he said.
GIVE NIGERIA ANOTHER CHANCE — ONE TERM, RESET AGENDA
In his closing remarks, Makinde acknowledged that many Nigerians have lost confidence in government, stopped believing politicians and stopped believing elections can make a difference.
But he appealed to them not to give up on Nigeria.
“I am asking you not to give up on Nigeria. I am asking you to remember that this country has produced generations of people who achieved remarkable things because they had opportunities to learn, work, build businesses and pursue their dreams. I am one of those people. Nigeria gave me a chance. And I refuse to believe that we cannot build a country that gives millions of other Nigerians that same chance,” he said.
He said he does not claim to have all the answers, but believes anyone asking Nigerians for the privilege of leading them must be prepared to answer four questions: *What will you do? How will you do it? When will you do it? And how will we know whether you have succeeded?
That, he said, is why he developed the Reset Nigeria Agenda, which sets out what needs to change, the actions he proposes to take and the measurable results Nigerians should expect.
He invited Nigerians to read the agenda, examine his record in Oyo State, look at the evidence behind his proposals, question his assumptions and challenge his conclusions.
He also committed to serving one four-year term as President, leading a transitional government of national unity focused on measurable progress, insisting that four years is enough to demonstrate that a different approach to governance can produce different results.
“On 16 January 2027, Nigerians will have another opportunity to decide the direction of our country. I know some of you are wondering whether it is worth voting again. I believe it is. Because the Nigeria that gave me the opportunity to live my dreams should not become a country where our children can no longer dream. Please, do not give up on Nigeria. Let us give our country another chance. Let us Reset Nigeria and build a country that works for every Nigerian. That is why I am running for President,” Makinde concluded.
...To get all news updates, Join our WhatsApp Group (Click Here)
Connect with us on Linkedin (Click Here)
