The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched a fresh attack on Governor Seyi Makinde over his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, alleging that the governor would have sold Nigeria’s national assets if he had been elected president in 2023.

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The opposition party made the remarks while reacting to comments credited to Makinde during the unveiling of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) candidates for the 2027 general elections in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where the governor criticised the Federal Government’s economic policies and expressed confidence that President Tinubu could be defeated in the 2027 presidential election. In a statement issued on Tuesday by its Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Sadare, the Oyo APC dismissed Makinde’s comments, insisting that Nigerians were fortunate he did not emerge president in the last general election.

The party argued that President Tinubu had demonstrated courage by implementing difficult economic reforms aimed at repositioning the country, adding that the administration’s policies had received recognition from reputable international institutions despite the current economic challenges. According to the APC, “the difference between President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde is like the difference between heaven and earth,” maintaining that no amount of criticism would persuade Nigerians to entrust Makinde with the country’s leadership.

The statement read: “Gov. Makinde can afford to condemn the bold and courageous steps taken by President Bola Tinubu in 2023 as he won’t be playing to the gallery, but all the informed minds and reputable global institutions cannot be wrong in their overwhelming applause to the President who has not only saved Nigeria from imminent collapse and extinction but is also working tirelessly to place the country in its rightful place among the comity of nations.”

The APC also accused the governor of disposing of Oyo State assets during his administration, alleging that several state-owned assets had been transferred into private hands in exchange for cash. The party claimed that if Makinde had become President, he would have gone further by selling strategic national assets.

“A Makinde who has transferred virtually all the assets of Oyo State to the wrong hands in exchange for cash in seven years would have sold Rivers, Niger and Benue as well as the nation’s portion of the Atlantic Ocean if he had the opportunity. To this end, Nigerians will never make the mistake of trusting him with their mandate,” the statement alleged.

The exchange underscores the growing political rivalry between Governor Makinde and the APC as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections. While Makinde has emerged as one of the prominent opposition figures criticising the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, the APC continues to defend the President’s policies as necessary measures for Nigeria’s long-term economic recovery, insisting that Makinde’s performance as governor does not qualify him to seek the nation’s highest office.