The South West zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has criticised Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over a statement by the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation describing the APC Presidential Campaign Council as a “Nebuchadnezzar Coalition” and an “alliance of failed governors”.
The party described the remarks as an insult to the governors and the millions of Nigerians who elected them, insisting that the growing support for President Bola Tinubu across party lines reflected confidence in his leadership.
This was contained in a statement signed by its South West Zonal Publicity Secretary, Ayo Afolabi where he said that 32 of Nigeria’s 36 sitting governors had aligned themselves with Tinubu, noting that they represented different political parties, including the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord.
He listed the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun states—Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dapo Abiodun, Biodun Oyebanji, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Ademola Adeleke—as part of the group, adding that the criticism amounted to an affront to their electorates.
According to him, the people of the affected states would remember the remarks when they go to the polls in 2027. He also questioned Makinde’s criticism of political alliances, recalling that the Oyo governor was a prominent member of the G5 group of PDP governors who opposed the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2023 general election.
He asked whether Makinde considered the political actors he associated with during the 2023 election failures or predators at the time, arguing that his present position reflected his changing political circumstances.
Afolabi further alleged that Makinde had lost control of his political platform, citing disagreements within the PDP over his reported alliance with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and comments attributed to former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who reportedly described the political ambition as “dead on arrival”.
He said the reported disagreements among opposition figures over who should lead their political platform further exposed the challenges confronting Makinde.
The APC spokesman also criticised the governor’s use of biblical references to describe the APC-led coalition, arguing that the account of King Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel included his eventual restoration after a period of humiliation. He added that Makinde’s alleged reliance on a borrowed political platform and his criticism of the ruling party reflected frustration ahead of the next general election.
On governance, Afolabi acknowledged that Nigerians were experiencing economic difficulties but defended the Tinubu administration’s reforms, describing them as necessary measures to lay the foundation for long-term economic recovery.
He, however, challenged Makinde to account for the state of basic education in Oyo State, arguing that responsibility for primary and secondary education largely rested with state governments.
According to him, the Oyo State Government should explain its performance in the education sector rather than place the burden of responsibility on the Federal Government, noting that elections were won through citizens’ confidence, and that the support of governors from different political parties demonstrated confidence in Tinubu’s leadership.
Emphasising that the APC remained committed to securing the South West for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, Afolabi said, “The South West will not be divided by insults. We will deliver the zone to President Tinubu in 2027,” he said.
