Nigeria needs security, restructuring, not Yoruba presidency, says Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, has dismissed the clamour by some Yoruba leaders for a Nigeria’s president from the South-West to emerge in 2023, saying Nigerians need adequate security and restructuring of the country not Yoruba presidency.

A statement on Tuesday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, quoted Makinde to have stated this in Ibadan at the handover of 33 operational vehicles and 396 motorcycles to the Oyo State Security Agency, popularly known as Operation Amotekun.

Makinde said, “I have heard some of our political leaders jostling around and saying they want to become the president of Nigeria in 2023.

“I think what we need at this stage is to secure our people and restructure Nigeria. It does not matter who is the president in Abuja. In a restructured Nigeria, every corner of the country will feel the impact of government. That is what we need.

“May God protect those running around for presidency till 2022. By that time, we will meet and, by then, we will get to know whether it is restructured Nigeria or Yoruba presidency that we really need.”

Makinde, who had earlier given 25 vehicles to the police and Operation Burst to combat insecurity in the state, lauded Amotekun, saying the impact of the security agency was being felt all over the state.

‌“If we cannot get state police now, this country will get there, we have community policing. But we need to do better than that. In the absence of the state police, we have our own Amotekun Corps and the operatives are doing very well,” he said.

Commandant of the Amotekn Corps, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd), said the corps would “stem the tide of rising security challenges, particularly during this festive period.”