Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has revealed that President Bola Tinubu asked him to take ownership of Adebayo Adelabu’s ministerial appointment after rejecting his recommendation of former state Commissioner for Finance, Bimbo Adekanmbi.
Makinde made the disclosure on Sunday during a media chat with Fresh FM in Ibadan, where he also discussed the G5 governors’ alliance with Tinubu ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
The governor said Tinubu had initially asked him to recommend a development economist for the budget and economic planning portfolio.
He explained that he nominated Adekanmbi because of his contributions to stabilising the administration of former Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
However, Makinde said Tinubu later informed him that he had decided to appoint Adelabu, whom he contested against in the 2019 Oyo governorship election.
Recounting the conversation, Makinde described Adelabu as a qualified candidate, saying, “He is a first-class material.”
According to the governor, Tinubu subsequently asked him to present Adelabu’s appointment publicly as his own choice.
Makinde said he rejected the suggestion, insisting that the President should take responsibility for the decision.
He explained that his role was to recommend capable individuals who could contribute to the administration, while the President retained the authority to make the final appointment.
“I’m supposed to help you by nominating people who can add value to your administration. If you’ve seen somebody who can do that, that’s good,” Makinde said.