2027: Underestimate Makinde At Your Own Peril, Akinremi Warns Oyo APC
By Kolawole Ojebisi
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Barrister ‘Wale Akinremi, has warned the party not to underestimate the political influence of the incumbent governor of the state, Engineer Oluseyi Makinde, describing the Oyo helmsman as “a decisive factor in determining who succeeds him.” in 2027.
Akinremi noted that the APC would be ill-advised to mistake the apparent silence from the governor’s camp for resignation or submission to the vaunted federal might at the opposition party’s disposal.
The lawyer sounded this note of warning in a critical and dispassionate analysis of Oyo politics and the 2027 election he posted on his Facebook page on Friday.
“One thing is clear: come 2027, Governor Seyi Makinde will remain a decisive factor in determining who succeeds him. Anyone who underrates this reality does so at their own peril.” Akinremi said.
Akinremi, who pulled no punches in his post, went down memory lane to dredge up the shortcomings of the late Ajimobi administration while not overlooking his impressive achievements as well.
In his unbiased post, the lawyer also focused the laser beam of his analysis on the failures and feats of the current administration in the state stressing that Makinde has the common touch as most of his projects are people-centric particularly the provision of employment for an army of jobless youths in the state.
Akinremi wrote, “Makinde has cultivated deep goodwill among civil servants, teachers, pensioners and their families. Among many ordinary citizens, he commands something close to a cult following. During the tenure of Ajimobi, some civil servants went five to six years without promotion. Makinde largely cleared that backlog, and thousands benefited from the gesture. Salaries are paid regularly and consistently.
More recently, the governor recruited over twenty thousand young people into teaching and civil service positions. In a state where the civil service remains a major socio-economic backbone, such decisions resonate deeply with the electorate.”
He continued, “Convincing citizens that governance extends beyond these immediate benefits is, frankly, a difficult task.”
The lawyer drew a parallel between the game of politics and that of football to drive home his point noting that the APC may be a powerhouse in politics like the Spanish club, Barcelona, in the round leather game but Makinde and his allies are no Newcastle, a premier league club, recently routed by 7 goals to 2 in a round of 16 Champions league match.
He added that Makinde is no cowardly general leading a ragtag army of supporters that would collapse like a pack of cards when hit by a poorly fired bullet by the APC.
“Travel across the state and the reality becomes clear: Seyi Makinde will not collapse politically like Newcastle facing Barcelona.
Unless something dramatic happens to his metaphorical “Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray”, APC’s “Liverpool” will find the contest far from easy.” Akinremi wrote in his Facebook post.
The lawyer advised the APC to exploit the weaknesses of the Makinde administration to emerge victorious in the 2027 gubernatorial election while citing some of those shortcomings.
