Politics
My 2nd Term’ll Focus On Sustainable Dev – Makinde
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says he is seeking election for a second term in office to ensure a sustainable development of the state.
Makinde said his desire to run again followed an accelerated development of the state by his administration in the last three and half years.
The governor made this assertion during a live interview session on a Radio programme, Political Circuit, saying that his performance as the state governor within the period, had justified his re-election bid.
According to him, “I deserve to be elected again by the people of the state, with the achievements recorded by my administration across the four service point areas of education, security, health and economic expansion through agribusiness and infrastructure.
“If re-elected in 2023, I will go on to deliver ‘Omituntun 2.0’, which centres on delivering sustainable development to the people.
“When I was campaigning for election in 2018, I brought out a roadmap and promised the people that it was meant for accelerated development of Oyo State.
“Now, based on what we have experienced, we have brought another roadmap. But this time around, it is for sustainable development 2023-2027.”
He said that his administration had been able to deliver infrastructure that targeted economic expansion programme as this government’s idea of infrastructure development has seen over 500 kilometres of roads, either completed or being constructed.
“In line with my administration’s determination to boost the economy of the state, this government embarked on an effort to link all five zones of the state with quality road infrastructure.
“All these zones have their uniqueness and what they are bringing to the table for the overall development of the state.
“So far, we have succeeded in linking Ibadan to Iseyin. We are linking Ogbomoso to Iseyin and we are linking Oke-Ogun to Igbo-Ora to Eruwa; we are also linking Eruwa to Ibadan,” Makinde said.
The governor said that, when his performance was placed side by side with the records of the previous administrations, his government had performed well.
He said that his government’s infrastructure initiatives included the 65-kilometres Moniya-Iseyin Road, while “works are ongoing on Ogbomoso-Iseyin, Oyo-Iseyin, Beere-Ona-Ara, Ajia-Airport Road with spur to Amuloko, Bembo-Apata Roads and the dualisation of the Ibadan Airport Road, among others”.
Makinde further explained that his administration had worked assiduously to expand the economy of the state by equipping the Ibadan Airport with the building of a 500,000-litre Aviation Storage and Dispensing Facility.
The governor said that the administration had been able to improve the economy of the state through agribusiness.
He said, through several policy initiatives and encouragement of a business environment that is agribusiness-friendly, the state had been able to attract massive investments.
These, Makinde said, included the designation of the state as one of the Agro-Processing Zones by the African Development Bank (ADB) and the building of the second largest Sorbitol Plant in the world by Psaltery Ltd.
He also said that part of his administration’s success stories in the agriculture sector was the fact that the state had the lowest food inflation
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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