Makinde denies attending 'Obidients' rally in Ibadan

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has denied widespread rumours that he was present at the rally organised in Ibadan by supporters of the Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

What happened: Obi supporters, fondly called Obidients, thronged the streets of Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Saturday, September 3, 2022, for a '1 million-man match' to create awareness and rally support for their candidate ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Meanwhile, soon after the rally, rumours started flying around that Makinde, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, was spotted among the crowd matching for Obi.

Makinde not Obidient: Reacting to the development, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Taiwo Adisa, issued a statement to debunk the claims.

Adisa disputed the claims being spread on some blogs that Makinde joined Obi supporters in the rally.

He explained that the Governor is yet to return to the country from his annual leave and wondered how it would have been possible for him to be in two different locations at the same time.

The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to an online publication, which indicated that Governor Makinde was spotted among the Obidients during a rally in Ibadan, on Saturday, September 3, 2022.

“To say the least, the publication is a falsehood, packaged to deceive the unsuspecting.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Makinde was nowhere near Ibadan when the said rally held. A Yoruba adage says one person cannot stand in twos. How is it possible for the governor who was observing the last days of his leave outside the country to be spotted among the so-called Obidients in Ibadan?

“While we will not begrudge the Obidients’ desire to propagate their candidate, we will not oblige anyone the luxury of dragging the reputation of the Governor of Oyo State on accounts of false claims.”