Seyi Makinde Ranked 4th Among Nigeria’s Best-Performing Governors: If Continuity Is Good in Lagos, Why Is Oyo Different? – By Mógàjí Ejílùdé Alákòko

Recently, I challenged a friend of mine, a strong supporter of the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during a discussion about governance and the hardship Nigerians are currently experiencing.

I told him plainly:

“The last time I criticized Tinubu, you went straight to ChatGPT to ask how Tinubu was working to address the hardship. This time, I challenge you to go back to ChatGPT and ask it to name the five most-performing governors in Nigeria.”

He did exactly that.

Interestingly, the response placed Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State among the five best-performing governors in Nigeria, ranking him fourth.

My friend’s response was equally interesting. He acknowledged that GSM had “really tried,” but quickly added that the governor should now “rest and allow others instead of Omituntun 3.0.”

That response brings us to an important conversation about continuity, performance and partisan politics.

Why Is Continuity Good in Lagos but Different in Oyo?

Why do we support continuity when it suits our political interests, but suddenly oppose it when it happens in a state controlled by another political party?

When continuity is discussed in Lagos, the argument is often straightforward: good governance should be sustained; ongoing projects should be completed; successful policies should be maintained; and development should not be unnecessarily disrupted simply because there is a change of administration.

I agree with that principle.

But if that principle is valid, why should Oyo State be treated differently?

If Governor Seyi Makinde has performed well enough to be ranked among the five best-performing governors in Nigeria, why should the people of Oyo automatically be told that he must “rest”?

Nobody is saying Governor Makinde is perfect. He is not.

There are areas where his administration deserves criticism, just as there are areas where it deserves commendation.

But that is precisely the point: governments should be judged by their performance, not merely by the political party they belong to.

A road does not become better because an APC government constructed it.

A school does not become more useful because a PDP government renovated it.

A healthcare programme does not suddenly become ineffective because it was introduced by a political opponent.

Development is development. Good governance is good governance.

Let the People Judge

The questions we should be asking are simple:

– What has the government achieved?
– What has improved?
– What has not improved?
– Which promises have been fulfilled?
– What projects are ongoing?
– What still needs to be done?

After answering these questions objectively, let the people make their judgment.

For me, this is not about giving Governor Makinde a blank cheque or pretending that everything in Oyo State is perfect.

It is about applying the same standard everywhere.

If Lagos deserves continuity because people believe the existing trajectory of development should be sustained, then the people of Oyo State should equally be allowed to decide whether they want continuity based on the performance of their government.

We cannot preach continuity in one state and reject it in another simply because our political interests are different.

That is where partisan politics can become an obstacle to genuine development.

Politics Will Come and Go, But Development Should Remain

Political parties will come and go.

Politicians will come and go.

Governments will come and go.

But the roads, schools, hospitals, infrastructure and other developments left behind will remain with the people.

Therefore, our primary concern should be what works for the people.

If a government is performing well, acknowledge it.

If it is failing, criticize it.

If there are shortcomings, demand improvement.

But let us not reject good initiatives simply because they come from a political camp we do not support.

At the end of the day, the people of Oyo State—not APC, PDP, APM, supporters or opponents—will decide who governs them.

So, my friend, you asked ChatGPT and got your answer.

GSM made the list of the five best-performing governors and came fourth. You said yourself that he “really tried.”

Now, let us be consistent with our principles.

If the work is good, acknowledge it.

If it is bad, criticize it.

But don’t allow partisan politics to make us blind to development.

If continuity is good in Lagos, why should Oyo be different?

That is the honest conversation we should be having.

By Mógàjí Ejílùdé Alákòko