Makinde disclosed this in his bi-monthly newsletter, saying the recent defections of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have dominated national discussions.

He said Nigerians should focus on when economic hardship “defects” out of their lives, as only then will prosperity return.

“I am sure many of you have been following the recent defections of politicians, especially the governors who have left the PDP for the APC and other parties,” Makinde wrote.

“With these defections, political pundits have been busy reading meanings into every handshake and silence. I have watched as our national conversation once again turns to who is moving rather than what is moving.”

Makinde noted that the widening inequality gap is deepening frustration and hopelessness across the country, adding that “it is hunger, not partisanship, that fuels despair.”

According to him, only the Nigerian people, not defections or political manoeuvres, will decide the outcome of the 2027 general election.

He said the PDP must rebuild trust by offering solutions to the economic hardship that has worsened under successive governments.

Read Also: Makinde Vows PDP Will Retain Oyo in 2027, Reclaim Presidency

Makinde said the PDP’s upcoming national convention in Ibadan would serve as more than just a gathering of party faithful, describing it as “an opportunity to reset and reassert our values.”

He urged citizens not to lose faith, saying hunger and deprivation would not last forever if Nigerians remain engaged and refuse to normalise hardship.

Makinde concluded by emphasising that politics must serve humanity, warning that any policy detached from the realities of hunger, unemployment, and loss of dignity is “not worth defending.”

Source: Channels

The post Makinde Says Nigeria Still Awaits the Defection of Hunger and Poverty appeared first on Afinju FM.

Makinde, who spoke at an event in a viral video said there was no need for the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to be “dancing around the cost” of the project.

The governor was reacting to a heated exchange that unfolded live on television between Umahi and Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni.

Oseni had requested the minister to analyse the cost of the project, kilometre by kilometre.

The request didn’t sit well with Umahi, who declared himself “professor” of practice in engineering while elaborating that the costs of the road in kilometres are not the same and would be too complicated for the journalist to understand.

He said, “These are elementary questions. And it makes no sense (sic). A process is ongoing, payment has been made, and you are saying, ‘how has this money been utilised?. The money is meant for the project, and it will be paid according to the work done.

“When a certificate is generated, and it is approved through a process in the Ministry of Works, it will then be given to the funders, who will, in turn, check if the works were done. How can you be asking for cost of kilometre? The prices are different. The next kilometre is different from the next kilometre.

“Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. You don’t understand anything. I understand engineering very well. You have no knowledge of what you ask. You have no knowledge of what you’re asking.”

Oseni, who also refused to back down, responded, “Minister, it’s alright, keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.”

However, justifying the journalist’s question to the minister, Makinde said, “They asked a minister how much is the coastal road is, and then you (Umahi) are dancing around and going to say that no, the next kilometre is different from the next kilometres. Then what is the average cost?

“When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road then, it was about N9.99 billion, almost N10 billion. About 34 or 35 kilometres, average cost is about N238 million per kilometre.

Read Also: FG to spend N17bn on Lagos bridge damaged by fire

“But when we did Iseyin to Ogbomoso, that was 76 kilometres, it was about N43 billion, average cost is about N500 million per kilometre. And we had two bridges, one over the Ogun river and then one at Ogbomoso end.”

Just to let you know, the Federal Government announced the commencement of construction work on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which spans nine states and includes two spurs leading to the northern states.

Source: Punch

The post Oyo Governor Calls Out Umahi Over Coastal Highway Cost Analysis appeared first on Afinju FM.