Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has rated President Bola Tinubu’s administration 34 per cent, saying the government has failed to secure the support of 66 per cent of Nigerians who did not vote for him in the 2023 presidential election.
Makinde gave the assessment during an interview with Arise Television, where he was asked to evaluate the Tinubu administration’s performance in infrastructure, diplomacy and economic growth.
The governor said the President needed to win the confidence of Nigerians who voted against him in the last election, stressing that governance should be treated as a national project that requires broad support.
He likened his 34 per cent rating of the administration to the proportion of votes Tinubu secured in the 2023 presidential election.
“It’s just about the same percentage as the people that supported him in 2023, 34 per cent. You need the 66 per cent of Nigerians that were against him in 2023 to be on board. This is a national project,” he said.
Makinde also criticised what he described as pressure on elected officials to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that some governors were being blackmailed into joining the party.
“Look at what we’ve seen. You have the governors come to APC. If you don’t, you’ll be blackmailed,” he said.
The governor, who is pursuing a presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 general election on the platform of the Action Peoples Party (APM), also spoke on his willingness to accept the outcome of the election if the process is free, fair and credible.
Asked whether he would concede defeat and return to farming if he lost the presidential election, Makinde said he would accept the outcome provided the electoral process met the required standards.
“There are a few things that must happen. If the process is free, fair, and credible, yes, I will,” he said.
However, when asked whether he would remain in the APM after the election, the governor said his decision would depend on how Nigerians respond to the political agenda he is presenting.
“I may evaluate my political future depending on how Nigerians, you know, see this agenda,” he added.