Drawing from David McWilliams’s Money: A Story of Humanity, HE Seyi Makinde reflects on money as a system of trust and applies the same principle to governance and politics, arguing that institutions, public spending and political processes must be rooted in responsibility, fairness and integrity.
Reflecting on six years in office, HE Seyi Makinde argues that leadership requires restraint as well as power, using his decision to expand Oyo State’s tax net rather than raise tax rates and Ibadan’s orderly traditional succession system to illustrate leadership grounded in empathy, institutional order and honoured commitments
Remembering former Oyo State Governor Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo, HE Seyi Makinde reflects on intellect, conviction, strategic political thinking and institution-building, presenting Olunloyo’s modest lifestyle and reputation for integrity as lessons in leadership and public-service legacy.
Re-reading How Democracies Die, HE Seyi Makinde warns that democracies can erode through weakened norms and unfair political conduct, using the PDP’s 2023 crisis and concerns about electoral institutions to argue for fairness, equity, justice and renewed trust in democratic processes.
Two years before the 2027 elections, HE Seyi Makinde calls for a political “reset”, arguing for new political ideas that subordinate politics to governance, restore trust in democracy and prioritise fairness, while inviting Oyo residents to assess his administration’s second-term performance.
Following an expanded Oyo State Security Council meeting on threats from criminal herders, illegal miners and bandits, HE Seyi Makinde turns to the Rivers State emergency, opposing the suspension of elected executive and legislative institutions and arguing that democratic principles must be defended irrespective of political loyalties.
Ahead of the Ondo governorship election, HE Seyi Makinde combines a political appeal for the PDP with Oyo governance updates, including recruitment of 14,500 teachers and about 3,300 health workers, while arguing that government’s larger employment role is creating conditions for private-sector job creation.
Drawing lessons from George Stephanopoulos’s The Situation Room, HE Seyi Makinde argues for factual documentation of political history and transparent government communication, while reflecting on the human vulnerabilities of leaders and the dangers of misinformation about events inside government.
Marking 25 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria, HE Seyi Makinde begins reading How Democracies Die and links political stability to economic prosperity, while presenting the new 76.67-km Iseyin–Fapote–Ogbomoso Road as infrastructure intended to spread investment beyond Ibadan.
HE Seyi Makinde argues against comparing Nigeria’s relatively young uninterrupted democracy with centuries-old democracies, while making the case for consistent law enforcement, incentives and consequences as Oyo State works towards fuller implementation of the rule-of-law component of its development roadmap.
