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Published on 2024-01-29 14:05:38
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has expressed his displeasure with Atiku Abubakar’s failure to empathize with the people of Oyo state over the fatal Ibadan explosion. As reported by The Nation, Makinde said out of the three leading candidates in the 2023 presidential election, only Atiku has failed to reach out or console with the state and victims of the incident.
Makinde expressed dismay at the PDP leader while receiving Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) who was on a condolence visit to him in his Agodi secretariat office on Monday, January 29.
Makinde said: “Let me use this opportunity to thank His Excellency, former governor of Anambra and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi for the visit. I thank him because politics didn’t step into this. You came here to commiserate with us over the explosion. Actually, the investigation is going on. It was simply illegal miners storing explosives in an environment where they shouldn’t be. It is a place where it’s meant for people to live in. It’s not a mining site. So, all the lapses that allowed such to happen have been looked into. I am particularly grateful because the musketeers that went for the presidential election have reached out to me. The President has called me, and you have reached out to me, but my own party candidate (Atiku Abubakar) has not called or even sent a text message. And I am saying it openly, so that our leaders will know that there is time for politics, you have a time for governance and you have a time for humanity. So, we want to say thank you so much, sir. We appreciate this visit.”
Makinde’s statements came after Atiku, 77, the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 and 2023 polls, did not extend his condolences to the victims of the Ibadan explosion. Atiku’s lack of outreach to the state and its people has raised eyebrows, prompting Makinde to express his disappointment publicly.
It is notable that Makinde appreciated the visit of Peter Obi, a rival politician, and emphasized the importance of putting humanity before politics. This emphasizes the need for leaders to prioritize governance and show empathy at a time of crisis. The lack of response from Atiku prompted Makinde to bring attention to the importance of demonstrating compassion and support during challenging times.
