Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has taken a swipe at the President Bola Tinubu administration, saying it has become difficult to speak truth to power under his government.
Speaking at a function on Saturday in Ibadan, Makinde compared the situation with what he described as a more consultative approach during the tenure of late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The event drew dignitaries including the immediate past Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, whom the governor said he missed his style of leadership.
“You cannot speak truth to power in this dispensation,” Makinde said while faulting the current administration’s handling of the tax reform bills.
“We had the same situation in this dispensation; it was the tax bill, and we said, ‘Look, bring the tax bill; bring it back; let us all have an opportunity to look dispassionately at it.’
“They said the tax bill will go ahead. It is an affront for even the governors to be saying that what the presidency has done to send the tax bill to the National Assembly. The tax bill, we don’t know what was passed at the National Assembly, we don’t also know what was signed up. When I say I miss you, I miss you so much sir,” he said.
He said Osinbajo’s leadership as chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC) influenced his decision not to impose a total lockdown in Oyo state.
“I remember I was barely seven months into the position of the governor of Oyo State, and that was my very first public service job. And we had a crisis in the country; this was February 2020.
“There was COVID, and we came in for the National Economic Council meeting. It was a hot meeting; the chairman of the council (Osinbajo) came in, and a few of my colleagues. I wasn’t sure whether they held a meeting before that meeting, but they came in and said we should all go back and lock down our state. So, for Oyo State people, why I did not lock down during COVID was because of his decision.
“Sir, I personally miss you in that position (presidency). A lot of people may not know why things are not really the same. It’s not a political talk because I’m not on that podium,” Makinde stated.
