Makinde: Tinubu Breached 2023 National Unity Agreement, Failed to Call During Oyo Schoolchildren’s Kidnap

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has accused President Bola Tinubu of breaching a written agreement to establish a government of national unity after the 2023 presidential election, alleging that the President’s failure to honour the deal has damaged the trust between them and made future political cooperation difficult.
Makinde also criticised Tinubu for failing to contact him during the 56-day captivity of pupils and teachers abducted in Oyo State, despite his attempt to reach the President over the security crisis.
The governor made the disclosures during an exclusive interview with ARISE News anchor, Ojy Okpe, aired on Friday, where he spoke about his relationship with Tinubu, his political decisions ahead of the 2023 election and ongoing opposition consultations ahead of the 2027 general election.
Makinde, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the build up to the 2023 election, said his decision to support Tinubu, then the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2023 election was based on a written agreement that he expected would lead to the formation of a government of national unity.
However, he accused the President of reneging on the agreement after assuming office.
“I still have the agreement with us,” Makinde declared.
Explaining why the alleged breach had affected his relationship with Tinubu, the governor said: “I’ve had a certain experience with him, you know, where agreement was signed. And he didn’t keep to it.”
He challenged those questioning his political position to examine whether the arrangement that informed his support for Tinubu had produced the promised national unity government.
“Tell us if the agreement was fulfilled. That’s wrong. Tell us if, not in terms of something personal, what has Nigeria got out of this? Are we having a government of national unity right now?” he asked.
Makinde maintained that his support for Tinubu was not motivated by their shared Yoruba ethnic identity but by the expectation that the proposed arrangement would promote political inclusion and serve the broader interests of Nigeria.
The governor, however, did not reveal the full contents of the alleged agreement with Tinubu, including the identities of all its signatories and the specific commitments contained in the document.
The governor also spoke on what he described as another troubling experience in his dealings with the President, recounting how Tinubu failed to call him during the 56 days that schoolchildren and their teachers were held captive following their abduction in Oyo State.
According to Makinde, he attempted to secure an audience with the President during the crisis because he expected the Federal Government to show concern and interest in the plight of the victims.
“I tried to see the President when our students and our children and their teachers were kidnapped, because I thought if any part of Nigeria is going through such a challenge, the President should be interested. Actually, I expected the President to call me,” he said.
When asked directly whether Tinubu eventually contacted him during the ordeal, Makinde gave a blunt response.
“He did not. No. Till tomorrow,” the governor said.
Makinde’s account also adds another dimension to his allegations of a broken relationship with Tinubu, suggesting that his grievances extend beyond the alleged political agreement to what he considers a lack of presidential engagement during a critical moment for his state.
Makinde also accused the Tinubu administration of using the EFCC to intimidate opposition governors and compel them to defect to the APC.
He warned that the alleged practice was undermining multiparty democracy and weakening the opposition ahead of the next presidential election.
According to the governor, rather than concentrate on winning over Nigerians who did not support the APC in 2023, the ruling party was allegedly focused on attracting governors through coercion.
“What we’ve seen is, well, okay, I have the governors, they come to APC. If you don’t, you will be blackmailed,” Makinde said.
Illustrating what he described as the alleged mechanism of intimidation, the governor referred to a situation in which contractors working for opposition-controlled states could face EFCC scrutiny over government contracts and financial transactions.
“The EFCC will come down from that place. ‘Look, how much did they award this to you? Go and bring your account. Who have you been paying?’ That is the situation that we are facing today,” he said.
Makinde’s allegation suggests that the anti-graft agency is being deployed as a political instrument to pressure governors who refuse to join the ruling party.
However, he did not provide evidence during the interview establishing that Tinubu or the APC had directed the EFCC to conduct investigations for the purpose of forcing political defections.
The Oyo governor also gave the Tinubu administration a 34 per cent performance rating, arguing that the government had failed to secure sufficient national support for its policies and programmes.
Makinde gave the assessment when asked to rate the administration’s performance across major areas of governance.
“It’s just about the same percentage of the people that supported him in 2023. Thirty-four per cent,” he said.
He argued that the President’s challenge was not simply about implementing policies but also about winning the confidence of Nigerians who did not support him in the last presidential election.
“You need the 67 per cent of Nigerians that were against him in 2023 to be on board,” he said. “This is a massive number.”
Despite his criticism, Makinde acknowledged some areas where he believed the administration had made progress, particularly the push for state police and student financing.
On state police, an issue he has consistently advocated as part of efforts to decentralise security management, the governor credited Tinubu for advancing the proposal.
“The President has done well with the formation of the state police,” he said.
Asked whether he would consider working with Tinubu again ahead of the 2027 general election, the governor contrasted his experience with the President with his dealings with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
“I’ve not had that issue with him before, with Atiku Abubakar, or H.E. Peter Obi,” he stated.
Makinde also advocated a broader opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that any political alliance must prioritise Nigeria’s interests rather than the personal ambitions of political leaders.
Although he confirmed that consultations among opposition figures were ongoing, he did not announce a final agreement or disclose the political platform through which any proposed alliance would operate.
As of the time of this report, neither Tinubu nor the Presidency had publicly responded to Makinde’s allegations.