Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said former President Goodluck Jonathan bore the full weight of criticism for insecurity during his administration.
He argued that the reaction to recent security incidents under the current government has been markedly different.
Makinde made the remarks on Friday while speaking to Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, reflecting on the contrasting public responses to major kidnapping incidents in the country.
According to the Oyo governor, the 2014 abduction of more than 270 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, sparked widespread outrage directed at Jonathan’s administration, with domestic and international campaigns demanding the immediate rescue of the girls.
“It was unbelievable. When the Chibok kidnapping happened, it was President Jonathan they blamed. They went all over the world asking Jonathan to bring back the children,” Makinde said.
He contrasted that with the public reaction to a recent abduction in Oyo State, noting that many people shifted responsibility to the state government rather than the Federal Government.
“But when the abduction happened in Oyo State, they said it was the irresponsibility of the state governor and the state government,” he added.
The Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction by the terrorist group Boko Haram became one of the defining security crises of Jonathan’s presidency.
The incident triggered the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign, drawing international attention and sustained criticism of the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity.
Makinde’s comments suggest that public expectations and the attribution of responsibility for security failures have shifted over time, particularly in assessing whether accountability lies primarily with the Federal Government or state governments.
