The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has been described by the state’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a great danger to the growth and development of Nigeria.
The APC made the remark while criticizing the governor’s comments on the state’s security situation, describing them as a misunderstanding of state governors’ constitutional responsibilities in dealing with insecurity.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesman, Olawale Sadare, the party disputed Makinde’s allegation that he is hampered in combating insecurity since security services are controlled by the federal government.
The APC slammed the governor’s words as “a height of cluelessness, insincerity, and criminal ineptitude,” emphasizing that he cannot avoid responsibility for the state’s security difficulties.
According to the opposition party, Makinde’s remarks were unacceptable and an attempt to transfer blame for the deteriorating security situation in Oyo State.
The party went on to call on the governor to resign, suggesting that his deputy serve out the remainder of the administration.
“Parochial leaders like Makinde pose a grave danger to the growth and development of the Nigerian society, and it is important for the electorate to avoid them in future elections,” the statement said.
The APC’s reaction follows remarks attributed to Makinde during his acceptance speech as the Allied Peoples Movement’s (APM) presidential candidate in Ibadan on Saturday, in which he lamented that he could do little to rescue kidnapped schoolchildren and other victims due to limited control over security agencies.
Makinde had maintained that governors do not have ultimate power over security structures, something the APC fiercely opposed.
