Governor Makinde Reveals Why He Stopped Attending National Economic Council Meetings, Says ‘I will not attend such a time-wasting meeting again’
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has explained why he stopped attending National Economic Council (NEC) meetings in Abuja, alleging that his time was wasted at one of the meetings after he expressed his position on an issue that was later handled differently.
Makinde disclosed this while responding to a question from a journalist, Atoyebi, who asked him to address claims that he had abandoned his primary responsibilities as governor to pursue his presidential ambition.
The governor recalled that he had attended an Economic Council meeting in Abuja, where he made his position known on an issue, but alleged that the council subsequently proceeded in a different direction.
“After they wasted my time at the Economic Council meeting in Abuja, I made my position known at the meeting, and they went ahead to do another thing,” Makinde said.
He said the experience prompted him to inform Vice President Kashim Shettima, who chairs the National Economic Council, that he would no longer attend such meetings, adding that his deputy had represented him at subsequent meetings.
“From that day, I told the Vice President that I will not attend such a time-wasting meeting again. And from that day, it is my deputy attending,” he said.
The governor was also asked to respond to suggestions that his pursuit of the presidency could distract him from his duties in Oyo State.
In his response, Makinde questioned whether seeking higher political office should automatically be regarded as a distraction from governance, arguing that his political ambition would not affect his responsibilities to the state.
“Everything is in order. Oyo will not suffer a minute because of my ambition. It is not a distraction, and my primary duties are not affected,” he said.
Makinde cited his experience during his re-election campaign, asking whether his responsibilities as governor had suffered when he contested for a second term while still in office.
“I campaigned for a second term while being the governor. Were my primary duties affected then? No. So, it will be the same for this period too,” he added.
The governor also spoke about the qualities he believes Nigeria needs in its next president, stressing the importance of physical agility and direct engagement with projects across the country.
According to Makinde, the country needs a president who can personally visit project sites and inspect infrastructure rather than rely solely on reports from officials.
“You need an agile president, not a president that they will tell they fixed a road from Ibadan to Ogbomoso and the president will not be able to walk for a kilometre to inspect it,” he said.
To illustrate his point, Makinde recounted an occasion when some of his aides struggled to continue walking during an inspection of a project.
He said he had encouraged them to walk farther, but they declined, adding that he was the one urging them to cover more ground.
The governor maintained that his presidential ambition would not interfere with his administration’s responsibilities in Oyo State, insisting that the state would not suffer because of his political aspirations.