Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has alleged that President Bola Tinubu breached the Nigerian Constitution by failing to formally transfer presidential powers to Vice-President Kashim Shettima while he was away from the country on vacation.
Makinde made the allegation while speaking after returning from his annual leave, during which his deputy, Bayo Lawal, served as Acting Governor of Oyo State.
The governor said his decision to formally hand over the affairs of Oyo State to his deputy demonstrated the importance of constitutional succession and teamwork in government.
“I went on leave and left the governance for the acting governor. I’m running to be the President of Nigeria because I have the capacity,” Makinde said.
“The President goes on leave, he could not hand over the governance to Vice-President; they are trampling on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Makinde argued that the same constitutional principle that enabled Lawal to act as governor during his absence should apply at the federal level.
“If the President is out, why can’t he hand over to Vice-President? We have just done it in Oyo State and people are better for it,” he said.
The Oyo governor said he deliberately handed over the state’s administration to his deputy before proceeding on leave because government must be capable of functioning effectively without the principal office holder.
He praised Lawal and other members of his administration for managing the state during his absence, saying some issues were handled “even better” than he might have handled them himself.
Makinde also commended Oyo State civil servants for cooperating with the acting governor.
According to him, effective governance depends on institutions and teams rather than a single individual.
“What we are saying is that there is no foreman anywhere. One man cannot do the job of four men,” he said.
He described the administration as a team comprising professionals from different backgrounds, including himself as an engineer, the acting governor as a lawyer and former Attorney-General, the Secretary to the State Government as a professor of economics and the Head of Service as a PhD holder.
The governor also used the occasion to defend Oyo State’s controversial €55 million French loan, following criticism over the facility and allegations that it could be diverted to fund his political campaign.
Makinde said the financing arrangement originated from discussions that began after he became governor-elect and involved the French government and the Federal Government.
He said the facility was offered at an interest rate of 0.0006 percent over 20 years and would largely finance equipment and healthcare-related projects.
The governor said he personally funded his campaign for the Oyo governorship in 2019. He said he had instructed his campaign director-general at the time not to collect money from individuals because he intended to finance his campaign himself.
The governor is currently positioning himself for the 2027 presidential election, and he used the address to urge political actors in Oyo State to focus on their policy proposals rather than making him the centre of their campaigns.
Makinde further defended his administration’s record, citing its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, recruitment of teachers and investments in public services.
He recalled that his administration decided against imposing a lockdown across Oyo State during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic after reviewing available data and scientific information.
He also criticised political opponents over campaign promises concerning class sizes, teacher recruitment and the structure of government.
“Governance is a serious business because destiny of millions of our people is involved,” Makinde said.
He urged Oyo voters to scrutinise the records, experience and proposals of candidates ahead of the next governorship election rather than focusing solely on his personality.
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