Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State may have been politically motivated and aimed at discrediting President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking during a televised programme, Fayose questioned the response of the Oyo State Government to the incident, arguing that state authorities should bear primary responsibility for addressing security challenges within their jurisdictions.
According to him, attention should not immediately shift to the Federal Government whenever such incidents occur.
“Let me branch to Oyo State, before you get to the president in the hierarchy of leadership and governance, there is local government, there is state, state has security votes and there are people that are supposed to be working,” Fayose said.
The former governor criticised the actions of Governor Seyi Makinde following the abduction, claiming that the governor appeared more focused on political activities than on responding swiftly to the security crisis.
“In Oyo State, I strongly believe though I might be wrong but this sometimes might be orchestrated. The governor of Oyo State had his nomination and that of his candidates in the face of this abduction,” he stated.
“He did not take any action, no steps were taken, it was after those nominations that he went to the families to visit them.”
Fayose further suggested that the incident could have been used to portray the Federal Government negatively.
“I sometimes believe that the abduction at Oyo School was orchestrated by the Oyo State Government to blackmail President Tinubu,” he alleged.
The comments come in the wake of the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers by gunmen in parts of Oyo State, an incident that sparked concern across the country and drew a response from the Federal Government.
Following the attack, President Tinubu sent a delegation to the affected communities and assured residents that efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the victims.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Governor Seyi Makinde nor the Oyo State Government had publicly responded to Fayose’s allegations.
The incident has continued to attract reactions from political figures and security experts, many of whom have called for stronger measures to address insecurity and improve the safety of schools nationwide.
