The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over his recent comments on President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, saying the governor lacks the record to question the President and would have performed worse if he had been elected to lead the country.
The party made the remarks on Thursday while reacting to Makinde’s statement delivered through a representative during the unveiling of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) candidates in Abeokuta, Ogun State. At the event, the governor expressed confidence that President Tinubu could be defeated in the 2027 presidential election.
Responding through a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Sadare, the Oyo APC said there was a wide gap between the leadership styles of Tinubu and Makinde. The party argued that Nigerians were fortunate not to have elected the Oyo governor as president in the 2023 general election.
The APC maintained that criticism of the Federal Government’s economic reforms would not change its belief that Tinubu had taken difficult decisions aimed at improving the country’s long-term economic outlook. The party also claimed that the President had received positive recognition from international institutions for the reforms introduced since taking office.
The party further accused Makinde of failing to manage Oyo State’s assets properly during his years in office. It alleged that the governor had disposed of state assets in exchange for financial gains and claimed that such actions showed he could not be trusted with the leadership of the country.
According to the APC, handing Makinde the presidency would have put national assets at risk. The party argued that his record in Oyo State did not inspire confidence and insisted that Nigerians would not repeat what it described as such a mistake in future elections.
The latest exchange adds to the growing political rivalry between the APC and opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections, with parties increasingly trading words over governance, economic policies and leadership records.