Makinde rates Tinubu 34% on performance, backs state police

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said President Bola Tinubu needs to win the confidence of Nigerians who voted against him in the 2023 election, arguing that his administration's performance has yet to attract sufficient national support.

Makinde gave Tinubu a 34 per cent performance rating, saying the figure reflected the proportion of voters who supported the President in the last election.

The governor made the assessment during an interview with ARISE News on Friday, where he reviewed the administration's performance in key areas of governance.

Asked to rate Tinubu's government, Makinde said, “It’s just about the same percentage of the people that supported him in 2023. Thirty-four per cent.”

He argued that the President needed to bring the remaining 67 per cent of Nigerians who voted against him on board to achieve broader acceptance of his policies.
“You need the 67 per cent of Nigerians that were against him in 2023 to be on board. This is a massive number,” he said.

Despite his criticism, Makinde praised the administration's efforts to establish state police, describing the initiative as a significant step towards decentralising security management.
“The President has done well with the formation of the state police,” he said.

The governor, who has repeatedly advocated state-controlled policing, maintained that states should be allowed to establish their own police structures according to their capacity and readiness.
On education, Makinde acknowledged the Federal Government's student loan scheme but argued that access to financial assistance alone would not address the sector's challenges.

He said the government must also prioritise teachers' welfare and improve security in schools to guarantee quality education.
“Having money for students to go to school… is a small fraction of what they’re supposed to do,” he said.
“You need the teachers that are motivated. You need even security,” he added.

According to him, education reforms must equip young Nigerians with the skills and knowledge required to secure employment or establish businesses.

He noted that although addressing some aspects of the sector represented progress, it would not guarantee meaningful improvements without tackling other underlying problems.

“If you have three or four pockets and one is being addressed, I would say it’s a movement in the right direction,” he said.
“But that alone will not solidly ensure that our children have skills and knowledge that can either make them employable or turn them into entrepreneurs,” he added.

Makinde's assessment comes amid his criticism of the Tinubu administration's economic policies, which he has argued have not sufficiently improved employment opportunities, incomes and living conditions.

The governor has also acknowledged some macroeconomic stabilisation under Tinubu but insists that more coordinated measures are needed to address the country's economic, security and educational challenges.
He has proposed his 'Reset Nigeria' agenda as an alternative to the policies of the current administration.