Supporting Tinubu In 2023 Was A Mistake, I Regret That Action— Governor Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has expressed regrets over his decision to support President Bola Tinubu, who was the candidate of the All Progressive Congress in the 2023 presidential election.

The governor said this during a media chat with select journalists on Tuesday.

He remarked that he rejected his support for the then APC flag-bearer, whom he thought would reset the country for better.

In the build-up to the 2023 elections, the current minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, led a group dubbed as G5 Governors. The governors, who were members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), included former governors Ifeanyi Uguanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), incumbent governor Seyi Makinde and Wike.

The G5 group vowed to work against their party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, citing unfairness to southern region by the party leadership.

Makinde, who remains a top member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said President Tinubu failed to deliver what he believed in him, describing his support during the presidential election as a mistake.

In his words, “I can make mistakes. I’m human. I supported the current president, even though I'm in another party at that time, because i thought, even though i never dealt directly with them, I thought he would do what is right for the country, reset the country. Like I said, bring people from all over that can help the country. But unfortunately, that is not what we are seeing. I regret that action. Yes, I do. I mean, if people say what is it that you have ve done. well, i'm not above mistakes.”