Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has issued a strong warning to opposition parties planning to rig the 2027 gubernatorial election in the state, saying his party will match them action for action.
The governor made the statement during an Oyo State Executive Council meeting on Monday, where he spoke about preparations for leadership transition in 2027.
“If you think you can rig the gubernatorial elections in Oyo State in 2027, think again. ‘Weyre n la ma fi wo weyre’ [We will match you madness for madness],” Governor Makinde warned.
Speaking in both English and Yoruba, the governor said he has already started preparing for the transition of power in less than two years.
“In a few months, maybe 18 months I’ll be out of here. So… I’ve started our preparation for transition in 2027. Other players would be there. If they think oh,” Makinde said.
He addressed attempts by opposition parties to gain political advantage by attacking his administration, expressing confidence that voters in the state would see through such tactics.
“Maybe if we attack Seyi Makinde and politicize this thing. Maybe they will vote for them. Oyo state people are wiser. And the next set of leaders. I can only prompt them, expose and encourage them. But Oyo state people would be an ultimate decider,” the governor stated.
The governor then delivered his strongest warning in Yoruba, saying: “But e was so pe, e fe wa Oyo state (if they try to rig in Oyo state) Weyre n la ma fi wo weyre,” which translates to “We will use madness to counter madness.”
Makinde, who has been governor of Oyo State since 2019, won re-election in the 2023 elections despite his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, losing all three senate seats in the state to the All Progressives Congress.
The warning comes as political parties begin early preparations for the 2027 elections across Nigeria.
Meanwhile, governors from the South-West states held a closed-door meeting on Monday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to discuss regional security and development issues.
The meeting was attended by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who chairs the South-West Governors’ Forum.
Other governors at the meeting included Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, and host governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
The meeting took place at the Oyo State Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan, where Makinde’s office is located.
Although the exact reason for the emergency meeting was not publicly stated, sources said it may be connected to the security situation in the country.
Bandits have recently kidnapped schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger states, and also abducted worshippers from a church in Kwara State.
Sources familiar with the meeting said the governors discussed security threats, ways to speed up infrastructure development, and how to strengthen cooperation among South-West states under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria.
The governors were also expected to review ongoing security initiatives, including the operations of the Amotekun Corps, to improve its effectiveness in dealing with new security challenges in the region.
