Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, has revealed why residents of the state voted for All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the just concluded presidential election.
The governor said he is happy to be part of the process that “redrew the electoral map of Nigeria”.
The governor made the comment on Saturday when he was featured on Splash FM’s State Affairs with Desmond Obilo.
He was responding to a question on whom he voted for during the recently concluded presidential election.
Makinde is part of the G5, a group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors who refused to support and campaign for Atiku Abubakar, their party’s flagbearer, over calls for the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as the PDP national chairman.
Bola Tinubu, president-elect, polled 449, 884 votes in the presidential election in Oyo state to defeat Atiku who polled 182, 977 votes.
“I supported fairness, justice and equity. I supported a united Nigeria, a Nigeria that gives opportunity to every part of this country,” Makinde said.
Asked if the candidate he is referring to is Tinubu, Makinde replied, “well, if you say so”.
“He (Tinubu) defeated me out there (Makinde’s ward). How do you deliver your ward? You know, you allow people to express themselves. A lot of our people, that is what they decided to do. They decided that look, we want after 8 years of presidency in the north, they want it to come to the south and this place being southwest, one of theirs was a candidate so they supported one of their own.
“When you go into a contest, you have to situate things appropriately. We had a survey before that election; we knew that a lot of our people are agitating for a country where there is fairness, equity and justice. I pointed it out to our party.
“I am glad that I am a part of a process that redrew the electoral map of Nigeria. That arrogance, I believe with the result of last Saturday’s election is basically behind us. Now we know that people will have to seek for alignment. If you want to rule this country, you are not just going to say oh, because I am from a certain part of this country, then that is the only qualification I require to rule this country. Now, you have to build bridges, reach out to others.”