APC chieftain warned me against contesting against Tinubu in 2027 – Makinde
July 23, 2026 10:00 pm
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde. Photo: Oyo State Govt
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, disclosed that a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress had earlier warned him against contesting against President Bola Tinubu in 2027 following his (Tinubu) endorsement by the APC as its presidential candidate in the next election.
He made this known in his July 2026 monthly newsletter, a copy of which was obtained by The PUNCH in Ibadan, the state capital, on Thursday.
Apparently reacting to the verdict of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday, restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from proceeding with its planned investigation into the finances of the Oyo State Government, Makinde said a day after the warning, the EFCC requested copies of all the state government contracts and payments to contractors from 2021, without identifying any contractor, company, transaction or alleged offence.
The PUNCH reports that the court, while delivering its judgment on suit no: FHC/IB/CS/61/2025, filed by the state government, acknowledged the EFCC’s statutory powers to investigate financial infractions and crimes but emphasized that such powers must be exercised strictly in line with the Constitution and the rule of law.
It said, according to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to Governor Makinde on Media, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, that “The EFCC’s proposed investigation into Oyo State’s finances, particularly the demands contained in its letter of 2 June 2025, was speculative and amounted to a fishing expedition.
“His Lordship noted that the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs to fair hearing could not be trampled upon under the guise of investigation.”
Speaking further in his newsletter, on Thursday, Makinde said, “An APC chieftain warned me on June 1, 2025, against contesting the 2027 presidential election after President Bola Tinubu was endorsed as the APC’s sole candidate.
“A day after the warning, the EFCC requested copies of all Oyo State Government contracts and payments to contractors from 2021, without identifying any contractor, company, transaction or alleged offence.”
Makinde said his administration did not resist the investigation but asked the EFCC to specify the contractors or transactions under investigation so the relevant documents could be provided.
“The EFCC did not respond, prompting the Oyo State Government to seek judicial interpretation of whether such a broad request was lawful,” he added.
He said the court affirmed the EFCC’s constitutional power to investigate financial crimes, but ruled that such powers must be exercised within the Constitution and the rule of law.
The governor noted that the court described the EFCC’s request as “speculative” and a “fishing expedition,” holding that requests for information must be tied to a specific allegation.
Makinde said he would not speculate on the timing of the EFCC’s letter, but invited Nigerians to consider the sequence of events and draw their own conclusions.
He stressed that no government is above legitimate investigation, adding that his administration has always been open to scrutiny and accountability.
“Accountability must be evidence-based,” warning against broad investigations conducted in the hope of uncovering wrongdoing.
He described the court’s decision as “a victory for the rule of law, not against the EFCC,” saying it reinforces the principle that all institutions must operate within constitutional and legal boundaries.
“The judgment underscores the need for leadership that respects due process, constitutionalism and the rule of law,” he said.
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