After Multiple Missteps, How Seyi Makinde Bungled The Chance To Regains Status As “Star Boy” Of Oyo People

Charles Oyelesi

Seyi Makinde almost attained a very hard feat in Oyo state.

The only Governor elected on the platform of the main opposition party (People”s Democratic Party) in the South-West almost became the darling of everybody, even his fierce opponents.

This would have given him the chance to become the indisputable star boy of the people of Oyo State especially on heels of a bad spell of publicity but he bungled it.

Atter back to back misstep, from the holding of an ill-conceived political rally at a period the world was preaching “social distancing” in the fight against Coronavirus, and holding a political meeting in the face of the backlash, to publicly hosting Singer Davido who came straight from his trip from Coronavirus high-risk area, to the disaster created by the sacked aide Adigun Ibadan (who stole the images another state government”s project as his principal”s), Makinde had the perfect opportunity to warm his way back into the hearts of everybody on the wings of sympathy when he tested positive to Coronavirus – despite his recklessness in not observing the much-touted social distancing.

Abiola Ajimobi, the leader of the All Progressives Congress which is the opposition party in Oyo state but the party in charge of the Federal Government and the rest of the South-West states provided Makinde with a perfect opportunity when he sent him a “you will be healed message” full of concern for the well being of the governor.

All other critics and opponents of Makinde immediately tuned in to the body language of Ajimobi in showing “concern” for their political adversary and “wishing him well”.

But rather than key into the sentiment and warm his way back into the heart of all and sundry as he did with his alluring rhetoric during the campaign and when he was sworn as governor, Makinde made another misstep.

The governor allowed his political party to attack Ajimobi and his people in the name of trying to explain his coronavirus status is not as a result of the indiscretion of staging the ill-conceived political rally that earned him major flak.

 And the APC descended on him heavily releasing videos of “damning statements” at the rally that hammered the image of the governor.

“And cost him heavily in the attempt to cling to the Star Boy image…it shoved the Star Boy narrative to the background as he struggles to prove he is not a huge mistake that has happened in the fight against Coronavirus and waiting to happen in the handling of the affairs of Oyo state” societynow.ng learned.