Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said President Bola Tinubu appointed Bayo Adelabu as minister of power despite his recommendation of Bimbo Adekanmbi for a ministerial position.
Makinde disclosed this during a media chat with Fresh FM on Sunday, explaining that Tinubu had initially asked him to nominate a development economist for the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
The governor said he recommended Adekanmbi, who served as commissioner for finance under the late former Oyo governor Abiola Ajimobi, because of his role in stabilising the administration’s finances.
However, Makinde said Tinubu eventually chose Adelabu, whom he contested against in the 2019 governorship election.
According to him, the president subsequently asked him to publicly take ownership of the appointment as though Adelabu had been his preferred candidate.
Makinde said he declined, insisting that the appointment was Tinubu’s decision and should be presented as such.
He added that his responsibility was to recommend competent individuals who could contribute to the administration, leaving the president to make the final choice.
The governor said he later discovered that other governors had also been asked to adopt ministerial nominees selected by Tinubu.
Makinde further alleged that members of the G5 alliance, apart from Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, were not rewarded with ministerial appointments despite their political support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
He also criticised the president’s appointment process, arguing that political affiliation appeared to have played a significant role in determining who secured positions in the administration.
Makinde said although many appointees were from the South-West, their selection was often based on their connections to Tinubu’s political circle, particularly Bourdillon, the Lagos address associated with the president.
The G5 was an alliance of five Peoples Democratic Party governors who opposed the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2023 election over disagreements surrounding the party’s leadership.
The group comprised Makinde, Wike, Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Their refusal to support Atiku contributed to the political realignments that preceded the election.