We Have Never Held Salaries For One Month Out Of The Seven Plus Years That I’ve Spent In Oyo-Makinde

Makinde made the disclosure during an interview on Arise TV on October 13, 2026, while discussing his record in office, his presidential ambition and plans for Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election. Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has said his administration has never delayed workers’ salaries for even one month since he assumed office more than seven years ago.

Speaking during the interview, the governor said his administration had consistently paid workers’ salaries despite the economic challenges experienced during the administrations of former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu. “We have never held salaries for one month out of the seven plus years that I’ve spent here in Oyo State. All through the President Buhari period in office, we paid salaries,” Makinde said.

He explained that when he assumed office in 2019, the minimum wage in the state stood at N18,000 before his administration increased it to N30,000. He added that the government subsequently raised the minimum wage to between N70,000 and N80,000. Makinde also criticised the Tinubu administration, arguing that Nigerians were yet to feel the impact of its economic policies despite claims of improvements in the country’s economic indicators.

According to him, accountability remains one of the major shortcomings of the current government, particularly regarding its promise to address Nigeria’s electricity challenges. The governor said his presidential campaign was built around a reset agenda aimed at changing the country’s approach to governance rather than introducing minor reforms. He expressed confidence in his chances of winning the 2027 presidential election, insisting that Nigerians, rather than political parties and their structures, would determine the outcome.

Makinde, who supported Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election as one of the G5 governors, also discussed his strained relationship with the president and his disagreement with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. He maintained that his decision to support Tinubu in 2023 was based on an agreement to establish a government of national unity rather than ethnic or personal considerations.

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