Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has said that his priority was to have a capable candidate who can move the state forward to succeed him.
Makinde, who stated this yesterday in Ibadan at the International Tourism Summit, organised by the state government, said that party colour would not matter in the choice of his preferred successor.
The summit had as its theme: “From Groundwork to Governance: Building Tourism That Endures”.
Responding to critics of his decision to pick Abimbola Adekanmbi, the Commissioner for Finance during the administration of the late Gov. Abiola Ajimobi, and a late entrance into his government in 2025, the governor said “what matters is competence, and provided the candidate is an indigene of the state.
“My role is to recommend a preferred successor for the people of Oyo State. It is the electorate that will decide”, he said.
The Governor assured people of the state that the winners of the 2027 election would not be determined by “federal might”.
According to him, the votes of the electorate will determine the outcome.
Speaking on the summit, Makinde said his administration has put in place major policies, actions and economic enablers that would make Oyo State the hub of tourism in South West and a major tourism destination in the country.
According to him, with key infrastructure development projects connecting towns and communities in the state, improved security as well as ongoing efforts to revitalise major tourist attractions, the number of tourism activities in the state will increase in the next few years.
