Governor Seyi Makinde has warned his political allies and cabinet members that Oyo State development must come before personal ambition as the race for the 2027 general elections begins to heat up.
Speaking to a gathering of Oyo State political stakeholders on Friday, the Governor insisted that the progress made since 2019 was a “team win” that could easily be derailed by internal friction.
The Collective Drive for Oyo State Development
The Governor called on all party leaders, stakeholders and, especially, candidates and aspirants for different elective offices in 2027 to stick together for the continuation of the good works started by his administration in 2019.
Makinde, who met with the group on Friday evening, pushed back against those who credit him alone for the state’s current trajectory. He told the assembly that while some observers praise him for raising the bar of governance, the achievement belongs to the entire team. He argued that every member has contributed their quota to uplift the state, and that protecting this Oyo State development is now a collective duty.
Ambition and the 2027 General Elections
Addressing the elephant in the room—the scramble for future offices—the Governor warned against letting personal goals fracture the party’s foundation. He pointed out that there are only 51 elective posts available in the general elections, a tiny fraction for a population of 10 million people. These roles, he noted, can only be held by a few individuals who will require the full support of the wider team to actually deliver results.
The Governor confirmed that this meeting with critical stakeholders is not a one-off event but a “continued exercise.
He told the hall that the people of Oyo State expect the current administration to hand-pick a credible team capable of maintaining the current momentum. If the team stays focused, he assured them, the voters will deliver in 2027 just as they did in 2019 and 2023.
Unity Among Oyo State Political Stakeholders
Governor Makinde made it clear that “misinformation and disinformation” are already being used to stir trouble within his ranks. He noted, however, that party members and loyalists must not allow ambitions to derail that focus, as it is only through continued unity and the success of the team that the people of Oyo State can continue to reap the benefits of the administration.
The Governor was blunt about the pressure of leadership, saying:
“It has been a tough period for us, politically. When the Speaker, Rt Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, was talking, he said that I am the best governor, but I will say no. It is the team.”
He further broke down the math of the upcoming cycle:
“For me, there must not be any division, so that Oyo State people can reap further the benefits of this team. Only one person can occupy a position at any one time. Apart from the positions at the local government levels, the elective positions for the 2027 general elections are 51. That means 51 people out of a population of about 10 million.”
Continuity and Governor Seyi Makinde’s Stance
Reflecting on the peaceful shift in the state’s political culture over the last seven years, Makinde urged his team to settle grievances and ignore the noise designed to divide them. He also touched on his own journey as a reminder that political outcomes are rarely within a single person’s control.
“It is only God that places one in position. My own political ambition from the beginning was to be a Senator, but I became the governor because God’s will for a man is the ultimate. So, it is important that we must watch out for one another and be our brother’s keeper.”
The Governor concluded by noting that the public is less interested in party labels than they are in consistent results. He said: “What the people of Oyo State are saying now is that they want continuity of this administration. They are saying ‘let the team be together and we will deliver you, regardless of the party platform you want to use to contest’.”
The high-stakes meeting was attended by a broad spectrum of the state’s political leadership, including Deputy Governor Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, Speaker Rt Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, and various commissioners and board chairmen, all of whom represent the machinery behind the current drive for Oyo State development.
