Exclusive: Has Makinde’s Anointed Candidate Emerged as Billboards Surface Days After Governor’s Signal (Video)
An exclusive investigation by Goalpoachernews has revealed fresh political signals suggesting that a preferred successor to Seyi Makinde may already be emerging ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.
The development followed the governor’s remarks at the 12th Omituntun Annual Ramadan Public Lecture held at the Ibadan North Local Government Motor Park, Agodi Gate, in Ibadan, where he publicly outlined the criteria that would determine who succeeds him.
At the event, Makinde declared that competence and loyalty to Oyo State, not personal loyalty to him, would determine his successor.
According to the governor, his own loyalty to the state has been responsible for the achievements recorded by his administration in nearly seven years in office.
He noted that his government has paid over ₦25 billion to offset gratuity arrears inherited from previous administrations.
Makinde also disclosed that the monthly gratuity payment has been increased from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion, with a target of ensuring that no retiree is owed gratuity by May 2027.
The governor further highlighted the ongoing upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport to international status as another major milestone of his administration, stating that efforts are underway to ensure that Hajj pilgrims will be airlifted directly from the airport by May 2026.
Explaining the rationale behind his position on succession, Makinde said discussions with several of his colleagues influenced his decision.
“I have been talking to quite a number of my colleagues and they said the person they handed over power to got to office and started misbehaving.“
“I asked them how they chose the person, supported him but he changed when he got to the office.
“The common thread has been that they installed someone who they felt would be loyal to them.“
“Today, I have made up my mind that whoever would emerge as my successor would be based on competence and loyalty to Oyo State, not to Seyi Makinde.”
“But moving forward, we don’t want to return to the period of political violence irrespective of party affiliations.“
“So please keep praying that whoever becomes the next governor should be loyal to the state,” the governor said.
During the lecture, Makinde also donated buses to seven mosques and presented an SUV to the guest lecturer.
However, Goalpoacher News investigations indicated that events that unfolded immediately after the governor’s remarks have sparked speculation about a possible political game plan.
During an Iftar gathering at the Government House, the governor reportedly told individuals nursing governorship ambitions to begin mounting their campaign billboards and ensure they carry the logo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
What followed barely twenty-four hours later has raised eyebrows in political circles.
A campaign billboard belonging to Bimbo Adekanmbi, the chairman overseeing the Ibadan Airport upgrade project, suddenly appeared in strategic locations across Ibadan.
The billboard prominently carried the messages: “competence, service, Loyalty to Oyo State.”
(Video of Abimbola Adekanmbi’s billboard)
The timing of the billboard’s appearance, coming just a day after the governor publicly gave the green light for aspirants to begin open political mobilisation, has triggered intense speculation within the state’s political landscape.
Observers now question whether the rapid emergence of the billboard was merely coincidental or part of a carefully coordinated political signal between the governor and a preferred aspirant.
While no official declaration has been made, the sequence of events uncovered by Goalpoachernews suggests that the race to succeed Makinde in 2027 may already have an early frontrunner quietly positioning himself within the ruling party’s structure.
As political activities gradually gather momentum in Oyo State, attention will increasingly focus on whether the message of “loyalty to Oyo State” is simply a campaign slogan, or a subtle endorsement from the state’s most influential political figure.
