Governor Seyi Makinde has linked the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to his ambition to contest for the presidency in the 2027 general elections.

Mr Makinde made the remark on Friday while speaking with Governor Bala Mohammed at the government house in Bauchi State.

“For seven years, we did not witness anything like this in Oyo State,” said Mr Makinde. “I declared to run for the president of Nigeria at 4:00 o’clock, and by 9:00 a.m. the following morning, the children were abducted.”

“We are still dealing with all of this. Yes, we may have to do more, and we’re trying to do more,” he added.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the governor backed the establishment of a state police, noting that the current security system does not allow governors to issue instructions to security agencies.

Mr Makinde stated, “I cannot give an instruction to the commissioner of police in the state. He will need to get approval from the inspector general of police. I cannot give an instruction to the state director of security. He will need to get clearance from the director-general of the DSS. The same applies to the military and other security agencies responsible for handling insecurity.”

Mr Makinde, who is also the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), stated that if elected as president, he would ensure that governors have both the responsibility and the authority to protect their states.

“We need to look at our architecture and ensure that where you give responsibility, you also give authority to deal with those responsibilities. That is exactly what we will do if Nigerians entrust the APM with the presidency. We will ensure that responsibility and authority go together,” he said.

The politician slammed critics who said it was his responsibility to secure the release of the abducted victims in the state.

Mr Makinde stated, “When Chibok happened, it was the fault of President Jonathan. They went all over the world asking Jonathan to bring back the children. But when this happened, they said it was the irresponsibility of the state governor and the state government.”

He disclosed that consultations are ongoing on selecting his running mate, adding that he is still within the stipulated timeframe.

“Let us wait until the names are uploaded to the INEC portal. It is part of the consultation. We still have enough time, and the consultations will continue,” he said.