The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has strongly criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over his recent remarks on the security situation in the state, accusing him of misrepresenting the constitutional role of state governors in addressing insecurity.
In a statement released on Sunday in Ibadan by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the APC rejected Makinde’s claim that he is limited in tackling insecurity because security agencies are under federal control.
The party described the governor’s position as “clueless, dishonest and a display of gross incompetence,” insisting that he should not shift blame for the rising security challenges in the state.
It went further to call for Makinde’s resignation, arguing that he should step down and allow his deputy to complete the remaining one year of his administration.
According to the APC, “leaders with parochial interests are a danger to governance and development,” warning voters against supporting such individuals in future elections.
The controversy follows comments attributed to Governor Makinde during an acceptance speech in Ibadan on Saturday, where he allegedly stated that his administration had limited capacity to intervene in the rescue of abducted schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area due to the structure of Nigeria’s security architecture.
He had earlier, on Thursday, renewed his call for the establishment of state police following the abduction of teachers and students in three schools within the same area, stressing that the current security framework needed reform to improve local response.
Makinde also reportedly urged the National Assembly and state legislatures to support constitutional amendments that would allow states to operate their own policing systems, arguing that security challenges required decentralised control.
However, the APC dismissed his position, insisting that previous administrations in the state operated under the same constitutional framework without similar breakdowns in security.
The party referenced former governors, including Lamidi Adesina, Rashidi Ladoja, Adebayo Alao-Akala, and Abiola Ajimobi, noting that none presided over such levels of insecurity. It also praised the late Ajimobi for establishing a Security Trust Fund to strengthen funding and stakeholder involvement in security management.
APC further accused Makinde of using the situation to advance political ambitions ahead of 2027, describing his comments as insensitive and politically motivated.
It concluded that the people of Oyo State deserved “competent and responsible leadership,” maintaining that the governor should apologise and resign immediately to allow his deputy take over the remaining tenure.