"Show Humanity": Atiku and Makinde at Loggerheads over Bodija Explosion
- Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, expressed discontent over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar not sending a message of condolence over the Bodija explosion
- Atiku refuted the claim made by the governor, saying he had commiserated with the people affected
- Makinde made the statement during the visit of Peter Obi to the state
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The media aide of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has refuted the claim of Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, that his boss did not sympathise with the victims of the January 16 explosion in Ibadan.
The explosion, which occurred in the Old Bodija area of the city, killed five people, injured 77 others and destroyed 58 houses. It was reportedly caused by illegal miners who stored explosives in a residential area.
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Makinde made the remark on Monday, January 29, when he received a condolence visit from Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general elections, the PUNCH reported.
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Makinde said he was grateful to Obi for his visit and his concern for the people of Oyo State. He said Obi was one of the few presidential candidates who reached out to him after the incident, unlike Atiku, who was his own party's candidate, reported Channels TV.
He said:
"I am particularly grateful because the musketeers that went for the presidential election have reached out to me. The President has called me, and you have reached out to me, but my own party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has not called or even sent a text message.
"And I am saying it openly so that our leaders will know that there is time for politics. You have a time for governance and you have a time for humanity. So, we want to say thank you so much, sir. We appreciate this visit."
However, Ibe said Makinde was mistaken and that Atiku had expressed his condolences to the Oyo people over the tragedy.
He said:
"Atiku Abubakar made a condolence message about the Ibadan explosion, less than 24 hours of its occurrence, where he shared his commiseration and empathy with the good people and government of Oyo State over the incident.
"Perhaps the Governor has been too busy to take track of media reports on the incident. But we wish to put on record that on the 17th of January, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar did make a widely available message on the Ibadan incident."
According to ThisDay Live, Ibe also said that Atiku's loss in the 2023 presidential election was not due to the lack of support from Makinde and four other PDP governors, who allegedly backed President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
He said Atiku was a victim of electoral fraud and that he would continue to fight for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.
On his part, Obi said he was saddened by the loss of lives and property in the explosion and prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased. He also commended the government for its swift response and its efforts to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Obi also spoke on the economic challenges facing the country and urged the federal government to reduce its wasteful spending and focus on the welfare of the masses. He said the country needed to invest more in education, health, infrastructure and security to achieve sustainable development.
Makinde slams Atiku for ignoring Oyo
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, has criticised the presidential candidate of his party, the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for not reaching out to commiserate with him over the recent explosion in Ibadan
Makinde made the statement during the Labour Party's Peter Obi condolence visitation to the state
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Source: Legit.ng
