January 25, 2026 | News | SUNTV Global Channel
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has launched a sharp criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, alleging that dissenting voices are no longer tolerated at the centre of power and that governance has become less consultative compared to previous years.
Makinde made the remarks on Saturday while speaking at a public event attended by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, openly expressing regret over Osinbajo’s absence from the federal executive.
“Sir, I personally miss you in that position. A lot of people may not know why. Things are not really the same,” the governor said, drawing applause from the audience.
The Oyo governor insisted that his comments were not politically motivated, stressing that he was speaking from experience rather than party affiliation. He recalled the early days of his administration during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, shortly after assuming office.
According to Makinde, a National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held in February 2020 was pivotal in shaping Nigeria’s response to the pandemic. He described the meeting as tense, noting that several governors had advocated for an immediate nationwide lockdown.
However, Makinde said Osinbajo, who chaired the council at the time, encouraged open debate and allowed governors to express dissenting opinions.
“They came in and said, ‘Look, we should all go back and lock down our states.’ The reason I didn’t lock down Oyo State during COVID was because of his decision to allow debate,” Makinde explained.
The governor contrasted that experience with what he described as the handling of the controversial tax reform bill under the current administration, alleging that governors’ concerns were ignored.
“We had the same situation in this dispensation with the tax bill. We asked that it should be brought back so we could all examine it dispassionately,” he said.
Makinde claimed that objections raised by state governors were dismissed and described the federal government’s response as intolerant of dissenting views.
“We don’t even know what was finally passed at the National Assembly. We also don’t know what was signed into law,” he stated.
According to him, the presidency proceeded with the bill despite calls for broader consultation, describing governors’ objections as an affront.
“You cannot speak truth to power in this dispensation. It was made clear that the tax bill would go ahead. Asking for it to be reviewed was treated as a problem,” Makinde said.
He concluded by noting that the outcome of the process remains unclear to many stakeholders, raising concerns about transparency and inclusiveness in governance.
