“You Don’t Need To Like Him, Just Support Him” – Makinde Opens Up On Why He supported President Tinubu

Regardless of their personal views toward President Bola Tinubu, Nigerians have been encouraged to support his attempts to address the country’s difficulties.

This was stated by Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State, at the opening ceremony and dinner of the ongoing Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) National Executive Retreat 2023, which was held on Tuesday at the Waniq Event Centre in Jericho, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The governor, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urged fellow Nigerians to support Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, despite the fact that they were members of different parties.

According to reports from Vanguard, Makinde actively supported President Tinubu during the electoral campaign period, along with his G5 counterparts, as they opposed the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

At the event, the governor shared that he chose to back Tinubu because he believed it was the right moment to make critical decisions aimed at reinvigorating Nigeria’s democratic landscape.

Makinde emphasized that he didn’t believe in waiting another four years to make a tough decision, as he recognized the pressing need to rectify the deficiencies in the nation’s democracy.

He called upon Nigerians to pray for and support the incumbent government, irrespective of their personal preferences, emphasizing that this was crucial for the wellbeing of both the state and the country as a whole. In his extended remarks, Makinde stated, “We can’t afford to sit back and engage in politics only every four years and expect different outcomes. Esteemed leaders of the faith community approached me with concerns about the Muslim-Muslim ticket, to which I responded that I would be open if they shared their preferred structure.”

He further elaborated, “Let’s take a moment to reflect. My party chose a Muslim colleague of mine as its candidate, along with a former Christian governor of Delta State as his running mate. I considered this setup akin to the previous eight years, albeit with a slight shift – transitioning from a Muslim-pastor duo to a Muslim-Christian pairing where the latter isn’t a pastor.”

Makinde continued, “I challenged them to articulate the advantages collectively, as the body of Christ, within the Nigerian Federation. If they couldn’t delineate clear gains, I proposed that we establish our distinct set of demands. It’s imperative that we outline our vision for the Christian community in the context of Nigeria.”

“We shouldn’t persist in the same pattern every four years, ultimately being constrained to select from the options presented and making decisions based on a multitude of factors. Thus, our approach must evolve, and this transformation must commence not in the year leading up to elections, but from this very day.”