Governance is serious business. So is the duty to speak with the discipline and restraint that high office demands.
That is why Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent remarks deserve closer reflection. In comments delivered on Friday, September 18, 2026, the governor, while insisting that governance is not for comedians, appeared to take swipes at two men seeking to govern Oyo State in 2027: Senator Sharafadeen Alli of the APC and Oriyomi Hamzat of the Accord Party. One was seemingly reduced to a joke about being a lawyer who has never appeared in court. The other was mocked through the now-circulating phrase, “Ministry of Kokoro Alate.”
The laughter those remarks may have generated is not the issue. The concern is deeper: whether the occupant of Oyo State’s highest office should be speaking in a manner that turns democratic competition into public amusement.
That concern is captured in the title of this piece: “Seyi Makinde or Solo Makinde?” The phrase deliberately echoes the satirical imagery many associate with K1 De Ultimate’s song about “Solo Makinde” — a character portrayed in the register of Fuji mockery, gossip, provocation, and excessive interference in matters that demand more restraint. The comparison here is not literal and certainly not an endorsement of every insinuation embedded in musical satire. It is, rather, rhetorical. It asks whether a governor, in moments that call for composure, should sound like a statesman—or like a participant in a mocking chorus.
The weight of office demands more.
Governor Makinde is fully entitled to criticise his opponents. In a democracy, those who seek power must expect scrutiny. But scrutiny is not the same as ridicule, and public persuasion is not strengthened when a sitting governor appears more interested in scoring laughs than sharpening civic judgment.
There is, to be fair, a legitimate point beneath the governor’s jabs. Popularity is not competence. Professional titles do not automatically qualify anyone for executive office. Media visibility is not administrative capacity. All of that is true. But serious arguments should be made seriously.
If the governor wishes to question Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s readiness for the governorship, let him interrogate his record, his ideas, his grasp of policy, and his fitness for executive leadership. Whether a lawyer has appeared in court may work as a partisan sneer, but it is not a serious standard for deciding who can govern Oyo State. Voters are not selecting courtroom counsel; they are choosing a governor.
The same principle applies to Oriyomi Hamzat. If Governor Makinde’s point is that broadcasting influence does not automatically translate into governing ability, he is entitled to make it. But reducing a candidacy to a dismissive “Ministry of Kokoro Alate” line may entertain supporters while doing very little to enlighten voters. It may produce applause, but applause is not argument.
And that is precisely where the governor must be careful. The office he holds is larger than his personality, larger than his party, and larger than the fleeting satisfaction of a well-landed political jab. His words carry institutional consequence. They shape the tone of public discourse. They help define whether politics in Oyo State will be conducted at the level of records and ideas—or at the level of mockery and pokenosing.
A sitting governor should not sound like he is auditioning for the sharpest punchline. He should sound like a steward of public trust.
This matters even more as the state gradually moves toward the 2027 general election. Tensions will rise. Political rhetoric will harden. Supporters will cheer every taunt thrown at rivals. But that is exactly why the governor must hold himself to a higher standard. He should model the seriousness he demands from others.
If Governor Makinde believes his administration has served Oyo State well, his strongest answer to his challengers is not derision. It is evidence. It is performance. It is a clear accounting of what has been achieved in education, job creation, healthcare, roads, worker welfare, security, agriculture, and economic management. That is how an incumbent defends his legacy. That is how the dignity of office is preserved.
The governor’s podium should not become a stage for political sniggering. Oyo deserves a contest of records, ideas, and credible alternatives—not a competition in sarcasm. The office of governor is too important, too symbolic, and too consequential to be dragged into the marketplace of unnecessary jabs.
If Governor Makinde wants history to remember him as a statesman, he must leave the punchlines to others and let performance speak for him.
Waleajani@gmail.com
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