By Adeyinka Adeniran
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has disclosed that he attempted to reach President Bola Tinubu during the Oriire kidnapping incident but was unable to gain access to the President, adding that he has not spoken with him since the incident.
The governor said several issues surrounding the Oriire security incident remain classified, insisting that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) should explain certain actions taken during the crisis to Nigerians when the information is eventually declassified.
Makinde made the disclosure on Friday, during an interview with Arise Television, which was monitored, where he said he had expected to speak with Tinubu because he believed the President would be interested in the security situation, but all channels of access were blocked.
He lamented that President Tinubu did not call him throughout the 56 days that schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire, Oyo State, spent in captivity.
He said he expected the President to call him after the abduction, but the call never came.
“I tried to see President Tinubu when the Oriire schoolchildren and teachers were abducted in Oyo State, but President Tinubu didn’t call me during their 56-day captivity. I expected him to call me,” Makinde said.
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM), presidential candidate further stated that he also made an attempt to reach the State House through the Chief of Protocol, but his calls were not picked up.
“I even made an attempt to call the State House Chief of Protocol, but he didn’t pick up my calls,” he said.
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM), presidential candidate further stated that he also made an attempt to reach the State House through the Chief of Protocol, but his calls were not picked up.
“I even made an attempt to call the State House Chief of Protocol, but he didn’t pick up my calls,” he said.
He stressed that the silence from the Presidency during the period the victims were in the hands of their abductors was painful, especially for a governor who was working day and night to secure their release.
The Nation reports that the abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when gunmen attacked schools in Oriire Local Government Area and took away pupils and teachers.
The victims were held for 56 days before the Nigerian Army announced their rescue on July 10 following a security operation involving multiple agencies.
According to the governor, a significant amount of information relating to the Oriire incident is still classified, making it inappropriate to publicly discuss certain details until the relevant authorities make them available.
“Some of the Oriire issues, a lot of the information concerning the incident, are still classified. When they are declassified, the Office of the National Security Adviser should explain certain things they did to Nigerians,” Makinde said.
He maintained that his position was informed by the sensitive nature of security issues, stressing that he would not turn the incident into a subject of political controversy.
“That is why I will not politicise the security issues,” the governor stated.
The governor also questioned the Federal Government’s handling of accountability, particularly in the electricity sector, arguing that the administration had failed to translate its promises into improved living conditions for Nigerians.
He asked how the country’s vast resources and reserves could be reflected in the everyday lives of citizens.
On the 2027 presidential election, Makinde expressed confidence in his political prospects, citing the increase in votes recorded by Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso between previous elections and the 2023 general election. He said his assessment was based on data, science and logic.
He promised that, if elected President, he would establish a Government of National Unity and serve for only one term.
However, he expressed doubt that Tinubu would implement such an arrangement, despite an agreement he said was signed on the President’s behalf by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
However, he expressed doubt that Tinubu would implement such an arrangement, despite an agreement he said was signed on the President’s behalf by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Makinde also criticised the composition of the Tinubu administration, alleging that many of its appointees were wealthy individuals rather than people selected strictly on merit.
Recounting another political encounter, the governor alleged that Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, knelt and pledged allegiance to Tinubu during a meeting with the President.
He further disclosed that people representing former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had approached him about becoming Atiku’s running mate, but he declined the offer because he was three years into his first term as governor.
