Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said President Bola Tinubu did not reach out to him while pupils and teachers from the state spent 56 days in captivity after their abduction.
Makinde made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with Arise Television on Friday. He was discussing his relationship with Tinubu, whom he backed during the 2023 presidential election.The governor said he tried to meet the President after the kidnapping, expecting federal interest in the security challenge facing his state. “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 if Tinubu ever called, Makinde replied: “He did not. No. Till tomorrow.”He added that he also tried contacting the State Chief of Protocol but received no response. Makinde further clarified that he has not spoken directly with the President about any matter. “I’m saying it again that till tomorrow I’ve not spoken directly with the President, about anything. I’m just minding my own business, running Oyo State. And I’m not complaining,” he stated.
The interviewer noted the apparent distance between the two men despite Makinde’s support for Tinubu and the votes the President received in Oyo. Asked what caused the strain, Makinde speculated it might stem from suggestions that he could challenge Tinubu in the 2027 presidential race. “Well, I can only hazard a guess. Maybe some people went and told him, ‘Look, she may likely run against you.’ I don’t know. That may cause bad blood between us,” he said.
The remarks come months after the victims abducted on May 15, 2026, from schools in Oriire Local Government Area — were freed on July 10 following a multi-agency security operation. Makinde had publicly thanked Tinubu and the security agencies after their release, describing it as a major relief.
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