Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Engineer Seyi Makinde, has defended the use of diesel-powered generators to illuminate some streetlights in the state. Speaking at the Boye Nation/JAF Movement Mega Concert at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, Makinde said critics of his administration should consider the wider power situation in the country before faulting the use of generators for street lighting.
The governor's comments were in response to criticism from Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the Oyo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Alli had criticised the deployment of diesel-powered generators for some streetlights. Makinde challenged critics to remember a promise he attributed to their political principal to resolve Nigeria's electricity problem within his first four years in office.
Makinde argued that if the country's electricity challenge had been resolved, governments would not have needed to rely on diesel-powered generators to operate streetlights. He said, "Tell them their father and boss was the one who said if he doesn't fix the light all over Nigeria within his first four years, no one should vote for him again." The governor's remarks came against the backdrop of increasing political activities in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The concert, themed "Young, United, Unstoppable (YUU)," also witnessed the formal reception of Ibadan-based political organiser, Ajiboye Akande Sangogade, and his supporters into the APM. Sangogade, an ally of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, led his supporters from the APC into the APM at the event. Makinde also responded to comments about his professional background, saying his engineering qualification had been recognised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
Makinde referred to the APM governorship candidate in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekambi, describing him as a graduate and professional who is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. Using the legal profession as an analogy, the governor said lawyers who attain the highest professional recognition are addressed as Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), arguing that the absence of a designation such as "Junior Advocate of Nigeria" should not be used to diminish the professional standing of others.
The governor subsequently urged Senator Alli to focus on the governorship contest with the APM candidate, Adekambi, rather than attacking his administration. Speaking with journalists at the event, the APM candidate for Ibadan North-West/South-West Federal Constituency, Akin Fagbemi, expressed optimism that the party's political influence would extend beyond Oyo State ahead of the 2027 elections.
Fagbemi said the turnout at the concert demonstrated what he described as growing acceptance of the APM, adding that the state had again shown its capacity for political mobilisation. He said Makinde, as the party's presidential candidate, would take the APM's agenda to the national level in 2027. The party's proposed "Reset Nigeria" agenda was aimed at addressing challenges confronting Nigerians, including unemployment, economic hardship and declining economic opportunities.
Key points
- Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, defends the use of diesel-powered generators for streetlights, citing Nigeria's persistent electricity challenges.
- Makinde challenges critics to remember a promise to resolve Nigeria's electricity problem within four years.
- The APM's proposed "Reset Nigeria" agenda aims to address challenges confronting Nigerians, including unemployment and economic hardship.
