Makinde Says Tinubu Picked Adelabu Over His Nominee

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has stated that President Bola Tinubu chose Adebayo Adelabu for a ministerial position meant for Oyo State. This was despite Makinde's recommendation of Bimbo Adekanmbi for the role. Makinde made this known during a radio talk on Fresh FM in Ibadan. He shared his talks with the president after the 2023 election and questioned if their earlier political agreement had been respected.

Adebayo Adelabu, who was a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was appointed Minister of Power by Tinubu in August 2023. He later resigned in April 2026 to chase his goal of becoming the governor of Oyo State under the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, he lost the party's ticket to Sharafadeen Alli during the party's primary.

Adelabu had resigned from the CBN in 2018 to run for the Oyo State governorship in 2019 under the APC but lost to Makinde, who was running for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Adelabu tried again to beat Makinde in 2023, this time under the Accord Party, but he lost once more.

On the other hand, Makinde said he had recommended Adekanmbi for the ministerial appointment. He noted that Adekanmbi had been the commissioner for finance and budget planning under former Governor Abiola Ajimobi. Makinde's choice was based on Adekanmbi's performance in public service, not party loyalty.

Makinde explained that he asked Tinubu what roles he planned for Oyo State in his cabinet. The president mentioned wanting a developmental economist to manage the budget and economic planning portfolio. Later, Tinubu told Makinde he had chosen Adelabu for the ministerial position.

"I know Bayo. I contested against Bayo in 2019, bright, first-class material, but I went ahead to nominate Bimbo Adekanmbi," Makinde said. He felt Adekanmbi’s experience in public finance management and his contributions under Ajimobi made him a strong candidate.

Makinde reviewed the records of officials from Ajimobi’s administration after he took office in 2019. He concluded that Adekanmbi had helped stabilize the state's finances. "I thought, well, I’m blind to party affiliation. If you can help Nigeria or you can help your state, I will give you the opportunity," he added.

Despite this, Tinubu suggested that Makinde should take ownership of Adelabu's appointment. Makinde refused, insisting that it should be clear it was Tinubu's choice. "No, sir. Bayo is your choice, and let it be known to the people that it is your choice," he told Tinubu.

Makinde was unhappy that Adelabu got the role despite his refusal to present it as his own choice. He also revisited the political agreement that led him to support Tinubu during the 2023 elections. He mentioned that they hoped Tinubu’s administration would unite political leaders to tackle Nigeria’s security and economic issues.

The governor said the agreement aimed to create a government of national unity during a time of great challenges in Nigeria. He highlighted issues like insurgency in the North-east, banditry in the North-west, and other security threats in different regions.

"We said to the candidate, who is now the president, that, look, we’re supporting you, but we are hopeful because of all the challenges we have in Nigeria. We’re hopeful that you will put in place a government of national unity," he explained.

Makinde mentioned that representatives from political leaders signed the agreement and presented it to Tinubu, who he claimed agreed with it. He clarified that the arrangement was not just about sharing political appointments but about uniting people to solve Nigeria’s problems.

Despite this, Makinde noted that the appointments made after the election did not match the understanding he believed they had reached. He accused political connections and affiliations with the president’s circle of affecting appointments that should represent a broader national consensus.

He also pointed out that many key appointments went to people from the South-west, raising concerns that the administration favored one region over others. Makinde’s comments brought attention back to the G5 governors, a group of five PDP governors who opposed the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, before the 2023 election.

The G5 included Makinde, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Samuel Ortom from Benue, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State. Their disagreement with PDP leaders intensified after Abubakar became the party's candidate, despite their push for power to return to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s term.

After Abubakar was chosen as the candidate, the G5 governors demanded the resignation of the then-national chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu. They argued that both the presidential candidate and the party chairman should not come from the same region. Their opposition weakened the PDP’s campaign and sparked speculation about their political choices before the election.

Tinubu won the election, defeating Atiku and Peter Obi from the Labour Party. "Of course, in the G5 it was only Wike that was given the appointment. The rest, you know, they were left in the river," he commented.

Makinde, whose second and final term ends in May 2027, is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). He will face Tinubu, who is seeking reelection, in 2027.

On Sunday, Makinde promised to create a four-year transitional Government of National Unity (GNU) if he becomes President in 2027. He made this promise during the APM North-east 2027 Town Hall Meeting in Yola, Adamawa State. He stated that the proposed GNU would focus on national unity and address concerns about political representation and exclusion in the country.