By Gideon Maxwell
January 25, 2026
Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has publicly told Prof Yemi Osinbajo that he personally misses him as Nigeria’s vice president, stating that national leadership under the current administration is not the same again.
His remarks highlight growing discontent with the direction of federal policy, while also drawing a clear contrast between styles of governance in past and present administration under President Bola Tinubu.
Governor Makinde delivered the comments on Saturday, January 24, 2026, while speaking at the 60th birthday celebration of Rev. Samson Ajetomobi, president of The Men of Issachar Vision Incorporated and overseer of Redemption Faith Churches, in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, where Prof Osinbajo was a guest of honour.
Makinde prefaced his address by stressing that his remarks were not a partisan political declaration but a personal reflection on leadership and governance.
He said many Nigerians may not know why things are not really the same without Prof Osinbajo in government.
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He recalled a pivotal National Economic Council meeting in February 2020 when Nigeria faced the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that meeting, Prof Osinbajo then served as chairman of the council and influenced the decision that allowed Makinde to refrain from imposing a lockdown in Oyo State, a decision the governor described as crucial in his first months in public office.
Makinde contrasted that approach with what he described as an increasingly rigid environment in the present administration, highlighting the handling of the controversial tax bill.
He said federal authorities refused to reconsider the legislation despite calls for broader consultation and that under the current leadership you cannot speak truth to power, implying that executive openness to dissent has diminished.
Earlier in 2025 and 2026, Makinde has been a vocal critic of fiscal policies from the centre, particularly those he regards as burdensome on citizens amid persistent economic difficulties.
His refusal to assent to the tax bill at the state level after passage by the Oyo State House of Assembly illustrated his willingness to publicly challenge federal policy choices.
Prof Osinbajo, who served as vice president from 2015 to 2023 and has since maintained a presence in public life, was present to receive Makinde’s remarks.
His tenure was marked by a leadership style that emphasised engagement with subnational actors and policy coordination through council mechanisms.
The comments by Makinde reflect broader tensions within Nigeria’s political landscape as actors reassess federal-state relations, governance priorities and leadership legacies ahead of an increasingly contested general election cycle.
