Seyi Makinde: I’m Happy To Sacrifice My Political Career For Tinubu’s Presidency

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo has said he was glad to sacrifice his political career for the emergence of Bola Tinubu as president-elect of the country.

Mr Makinde added that he was not bothered, even, if he had to sacrifice his career for the country to be restructured for fairness and equity.

“I am glad to be part of those who have made efforts to redraw the electoral map of Nigeria.

“If I have to choose between my political career and doing what is right, just and equitable, I will choose to forgo my political career,” he said on Sunday during an interview on a radio station in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

Mr Makinde, who would be contesting for a second term in office this weekend, had supported Mr Tinubu for the presidency at the last minute.

Mr Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared winner of the February 25 poll after defeating his main challengers, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).

A member of the PDP, Mr Makinde worked against Mr Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate, in the February 25 presidential election.

Mr Makinde was one of the G-5 governors which included; Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), who failed to declare open support for Mr Abubakar.

Before the election, the aggrieved governors resolved not to work for Mr Abubakar’s presidential bid unless the PDP national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, a northerner, was replaced by a southerner for geo-political balancing of power.

After weeks of actively plotting against Mr Abubakar through his alignment with Mr Wike and other members of the so-called G-5, Mr Makinde suddenly sent out a statement on the eve of the election that said voters should back members of the PDP, but without mentioning the party’s presidential flagbearer.

“So, if you still have any undecided voters on your list, this is the time to call them up and help them decide to vote for the PDP from top to bottom in Oyo State,” Mr Makinde said. Party loyalists, however, dismissed his appeal as insincere, with many of them now saying they would work against his second term from within the party as a payback for his alleged betrayal that contributed to Mr Abubakar’s shortcomings at the February 25 presidential election.