The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has said that the country must not be allowed to slide into a one party state.
Makinde stated this at the Fashola Agricbusiness Hub, in Oyo town at the weekend, while interacting with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Press Corps, who were at the state for their annual retreat.
The Oyo State governor, while reacting to speculations that he was nursing a presidential ambition for 2027, said nobody could push his agenda for him, saying that if he was interested in doing so, he would go out for it.
“All I can say to you is, I am old enough. If I want to do something, I will come out and say, this is what I want to do. No speculation. Nobody can push my agenda. I will push my agenda when the time comes,” Makinde said.
He explained that the people of Oyo State gave him an opportunity to serve them as governor in 2019, and he saw it as opportunity to change the narrative in the governance of the state.
He stated that this administration, as part of its efforts to leave behind enduring legacies, is resuscitating the Fashola Agribusiness Hub, which was conceptualized in the 1950s by the Western Region government.
The governor noted this is in addition to new road projects to link the different zones in the state amongst other development projects.
“Nigeria must not slide into a one-party state. It is what I want you to take out from here. Reflect on it. Oyo people took a decision. In 2019, we did not have a godfather. Nobody sponsored me. Nobody gave a dime for us to get in there. But the people of Oyo State decided that they wanted to give this opportunity to an outsider.
“Before that time, you would hear people say, ‘Seyi, what has he done before? Has he been a councillor? No. Has he been to the State House of Assembly? No. Has he been to House of Reps? No. How about Senate?’ I tried twice. I was rejected.
“No experience in politics. No experience in governance, but I have done well for myself in business. And before that time, the entire Southwest was APC. All the six states, but Oyo State said, no, we dare to be different.
“And because I didn’t have experience, I wanted to convince the people. So, we produced a document, Roadmap to Accelerate Development of Oyo State 2019 to 2023. And I said to the people, ‘Look, this is the black and white, hold me accountable to this.’
“And they gave us the opportunity and we saw it as a lifetime opportunity to change the narrative. In Nigeria, we have the talent, we have the intellect.
Let’s not slide into a one-party state, so that we can give others the opportunity, so you can showcase what is possible in Nigeria,” Makinde said. Sun