Guber Aspirant

  A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Chief Niyi Akintola, has described Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as a man of integrity, calling him a “promise keeper” who has consistently earned the trust of the people. Speaking during an interview on The People’s Verdict, Chief Akintola, the Asiwaju of Idoland, praised the governor’s humility, brilliance, and developmental strides across the state. “Governor Makinde embodies everything called Omoluabi. He is humble, calculating, brilliant, unassuming and a go-getter,” he said. “When we adopted him, I took him to my local government and told him plainly what we expected and what we wouldn’t accept. He has never betrayed us.” Akintola recalled that he had predicted an overwhelming victory for Makinde in Ido Local Government in a past election — a prediction that came to pass. “What he got from Ido was more than what he got from four local governments put together,” he said. Fulfilled Promises and Developmental Impact Despite being an APC chieftain, Akintola noted that Makinde responded to the calls for infrastructure development from opposition quarters, particularly in Ido LGA. “We demanded construction of our road from Omi to Ido, which had been left unattended since 1992. Governor Makinde not only fixed that, but also completed the Owode Housing Estate to Akala Way to Toll Gate stretch. The Apete-Akufo road is also done, and construction from Akufo to Alabata in Akinyele is ongoing,” he stated. He recounted an instance while driving with the governor when Makinde saw roadside traders in Omi Adio and spontaneously promised a modern market — a promise which he said is now 99% completed. Akintola also revealed that although Ido was initially excluded from the Ibadan Circular Road project, the governor found a way to connect the area to the larger network. Widespread Praise and Recognition Sharing a testimony from a visiting Nigerian engineer based in Houston, USA, Akintola said the guest was astonished at the road developments across Ibadan. “He asked, ‘Where did you get this kind of governor? Can’t you lend him to us for a few months?’ I told him our constitution doesn’t allow that,” Akintola said humorously. He also credited Makinde with unlocking the long-delayed World Bank-backed Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project by promptly paying the state’s counterpart funding — enabling extensive dredging, bank reinforcement, and bridge reconstruction to tackle flooding in the city. Security and Other Achievements Highlighting security as another major achievement, Chief Akintola said: “Every three kilometers on the Old Oyo Road, you’ll find Amotekun Corps, Operation Burst, and police personnel with government-supplied vehicles. That’s a big change. I used to personally support the police, but the government has now taken full responsibility.” Citing the Moniya-Iseyin Road, Iseyin-Fapote-Ogbomoso Road, and internal road networks in Ibadan, he lauded the governor’s focus on infrastructure and rated him highly. “If I were to score Governor Makinde, I would give him 85 per cent,” he said. “Our prayer is that he finishes strong, and that God grants Oyo State another prepared leader like him.”