Governor Makinde and the Absence of the Language of Governance in His Political Lingo | Timilehin Kolade
Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent appearance on Fresh FM 105.9’s Political Circuit, anchored by Mayor Isaac Brown, presents an opportunity to examine the relationship between political ambition, administrative performance and the language of governance. His confidence in winning the 2027 presidential election, proposal for a Government of National Unity and emphasis on entrepreneurship, skills, knowledge and intensive production raise an important question: what governing philosophy underpins his national ambition?
After more than seven years in office, Makinde’s experience in Oyo State should provide the foundation for a credible national proposition. The question is whether his political communication adequately connects his ambitions to the lessons, achievements and unresolved challenges of his administration.
The issue is not whether Makinde can speak confidently about Nigeria’s problems. It is whether he can explain, with sufficient policy and institutional clarity, how those problems should be solved. Political eloquence and administrative experience are valuable, but neither automatically translates into a coherent governing philosophy.
Politics Versus Governance
Politics concerns the acquisition and retention of power; governance concerns what power accomplishes. It is measured by the quality of public institutions, the effectiveness of public spending, the protection of citizens’ rights and improvements in their living conditions.
The language of governance goes beyond identifying problems. It explains their causes, establishes priorities, outlines implementation strategies and provides measurable standards for evaluating outcomes.
A politician may effectively defend an administration, criticise opponents and express confidence in future electoral victories. Yet citizens also need to understand how public institutions will work, how resources will be deployed and how promised reforms will improve their lives.
This distinction provides the appropriate framework for assessing Makinde’s media engagement and national ambition.
Local Government Autonomy: A Test of Constitutional Conviction
The Supreme Court judgment of July 11, 2024, affirming financial autonomy for local governments, presents an important test of Makinde’s governing philosophy.
In his reaction, Makinde questioned whether the judgment adequately addressed Nigeria’s pressing challenges, particularly hunger and low productivity. While these concerns are legitimate, constitutional autonomy is itself a governance issue involving the distribution of power, fiscal accountability and local development.
The critical question is how his administration has approached the practical implementation of local government autonomy. How can councils exercise their constitutional responsibilities while maintaining transparent procurement, competent administration and effective auditing?
A governor aspiring to lead Nigeria must demonstrate that constitutional principles can be respected while implementation challenges are addressed. The issue is not simply whether local governments can manage public funds effectively, but whether they should be allowed to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed responsibilities without undue interference.
This is where the distinction between political expediency and institutional conviction becomes important.
The Ibadan Circular Road: Development and Justice
The Ibadan Circular Road represents a potentially significant investment in mobility, connectivity and economic development. However, the controversy surrounding its setback requirements and the treatment of affected property owners raises questions about the relationship between infrastructure development and citizens’ rights.
In October 2026, Makinde reaffirmed the government’s position on maintaining setbacks of 75 metres on both sides of built-up areas and 500 metres on both sides of underdeveloped areas. He also promised ₦6 billion in compensation to affected property owners by the end of October.
The broader governance questions remain important. How are affected communities consulted? Are compensation arrangements transparent and timely? What mechanisms enable citizens to challenge administrative decisions fairly?
The argument is not against the Circular Road or its potential economic benefits. It is that development must be judged by both the infrastructure delivered and the fairness of the process.
A road can improve connectivity, but public trust may suffer when citizens believe their rights have not been adequately protected. Good governance requires the state to pursue development without treating procedural fairness as an obstacle.
Agbowo Shopping Complex: Announcements Versus Delivery
The proposed redevelopment of Agbowo Shopping Complex provides another basis for assessing the relationship between government announcements and tangible outcomes.
The project has been presented as an opportunity to revitalise commercial activity, attract investment and create economic opportunities. In February 2025, the Oyo State House of Assembly approved a bond issuance proposal intended to support its renovation.
The policy rationale is understandable. A deteriorating commercial complex represents lost economic opportunities. Yet the real test lies in implementation: what is the delivery timetable, what milestones have been achieved, and what benefits have accrued to traders and residents?
These questions distinguish a development announcement from a development outcome.
The wider lesson is that government projects should be evaluated by their completion, cost, public value and impact. Where implementation is delayed, citizens deserve an explanation. A national aspirant must demonstrate not merely the capacity to announce ambitious projects but the ability to establish systems that ensure delivery.
Budgets and the Measurement of Performance
Makinde’s 2026 budget provides another basis for examining his governing communication.
The proposed ₦891.99 billion budget allocated approximately ₦502.85 billion to capital expenditure and ₦389.14 billion to recurrent expenditure. Infrastructure received approximately ₦210.03 billion, representing 23.55 per cent of the total budget.
These allocations demonstrate identifiable spending priorities. However, a budget is a planning and authorisation instrument, not proof that its intended outcomes have been achieved.
Oyo State’s third-quarter 2025 budget performance report recorded year-to-date capital expenditure of approximately ₦288.98 billion against a revised annual target of ₦596.64 billion, representing 48.4 per cent performance at that stage. Internally generated revenue stood at approximately ₦63.63 billion against a revised annual target of ₦143.19 billion, or 44.4 per cent.
These figures do not establish the final annual performance or, by themselves, prove policy failure. They nevertheless demonstrate why allocations and intentions must be distinguished from implementation.
A convincing governing narrative would explain performance gaps, corrective measures and the measurable effects of expenditure. How many projects were completed? What improvements occurred in public services? How much employment was generated? What value did citizens receive from public spending?
The language of governance requires government to explain not only what it intends to spend but also what that expenditure achieves.
Acknowledging the Achievements
A balanced assessment must acknowledge the initiatives undertaken by Makinde’s administration in education, healthcare, agribusiness, infrastructure and security.
In his June 2025 State of the State address, the governor highlighted projects including the Fasola and Eruwa agribusiness initiatives, classroom upgrades in rural schools, recruitment of more than 14,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel, improvements to primary healthcare facilities, the addition of 480 forest rangers to the Amotekun Corps and an 11-megawatt independent power project serving the state secretariat and surrounding communities.
These government-reported achievements demonstrate that the administration has identifiable policy initiatives. It would therefore be inaccurate to suggest that Makinde has no governing ideas.
The more useful criticism is that individual programmes must be connected to measurable public outcomes. Agribusiness should be evaluated by its impact on farmers’ incomes, employment and processing capacity. Education should be assessed through learning outcomes and equitable access. Healthcare should be measured by service availability, affordability and quality, while security interventions should be judged by their effectiveness in protecting communities.
The question is not simply whether programmes exist, but what they have changed, for whom, at what cost and with what prospects for sustainability.
Mayor Isaac Brown’s Interview and Political Scrutiny
The Fresh FM engagement also raises questions about the role of political broadcasting in public accountability.
A media interview with a sitting governor pursuing national office should provide an opportunity to examine the relationship between his record and his promises. When Makinde advocates intensive production, the logical follow-up is to assess his administration’s support for enterprise, industrial development, agricultural value chains and job creation.
When he proposes a Government of National Unity, he should explain how it would manage political disagreements, institutionalise inclusion and prevent national unity from becoming an arrangement among political elites.
When he speaks of economic prosperity, citizens should be able to examine the relationship between public expenditure, private investment, productivity and living standards.
These are not hostile questions. They are necessary questions in a democracy. Political broadcasting serves the public best when it helps citizens distinguish between stated intentions and demonstrable outcomes.
From Omituntun to a National Governing Philosophy
Makinde’s Omituntun framework and successive development roadmaps provide a foundation for explaining his administration’s priorities. His national ambition requires him to demonstrate how the lessons of governing Oyo State translate into a coherent programme for Nigeria.
A national production agenda must explain the electricity, transport, credit, skills and regulatory conditions needed to support businesses. A national unity agenda must identify institutions capable of managing regional differences and political disagreements. A national security agenda must demonstrate how policing, intelligence, justice and community protection can work together.
Above all, a governing philosophy must establish how public officials will be held accountable, public resources protected and policy outcomes measured.
Makinde’s experience should provide practical lessons about what works, what fails and what requires reform. His task is to articulate these lessons clearly rather than assume that administrative experience speaks for itself.
Conclusion: The Burden of Proving a Governing Philosophy
The criticism of Makinde’s political lingo is not that he lacks policies or that his administration has achieved nothing. His record contains substantial budgetary commitments and identifiable initiatives in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agribusiness and security.
The question is whether he consistently communicates the institutional logic connecting these activities to measurable public outcomes.
The local government autonomy controversy tests his commitment to constitutional decentralisation. The Circular Road dispute raises questions about reconciling development with citizens’ rights. Agbowo tests the relationship between announcements and delivery, while budget performance highlights the difference between allocations and results.
Together, these issues provide a basis for evaluating his national ambition beyond political confidence and administrative reputation.
Makinde has every right to aspire to the presidency. However, experience becomes a persuasive national credential when it is accompanied by institutional learning, accountability and a clear explanation of how governance can be improved.
Politics may explain why a leader wants power, but governance must explain what he intends to achieve with it, how he will achieve it and how citizens will know whether he has succeeded.
For Makinde, the challenge is to move beyond the language of political ambition and communicate more convincingly in the language of institutions, implementation, accountability and measurable outcomes. That is the standard Nigerians should demand of anyone seeking the highest office in the country.