By Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), has urged Governor Seyi Makinde to name the opposition leaders he alleged are sponsoring violence in the state.

He spoke at the weekend while featuring on ‘Southwest Political Circuit’, an interview programme on Ibadan-based Fresh FM 1005.9.

Makinde has consistently blamed opposition leaders for pockets of violence in the state.

He said the violence was being orchestrated by opposition leaders to discredit his administration. Despite repeated assurance of revealing the identity of the said opposition leaders, the governor is yet to make good his promise.

When asked about the chances of the APC in the 2023 governorship election, the legal icon said APC is better positioned to win more than ever because Makinde has demonstrated incapacity to move the state forward.

Although he acknowledged that the governor has scored some good points, including taking sole ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, he said he has, however, failed in the areas of security and infrastructural development.

Confronted with the question that the governor has always insisted that opposition leaders are behind the violence in the state, Akintola said: “Let him name the opposition leaders sponsoring violence in Oyo. He has all the power to apprehend them and bring them to book.

“The late governor Abiola Ajimobi used the Terrorism Act to tackle violence. With the act, criminals are allowed to be tried in any part of Nigeria and they are not entitled to bail. It is stronger than a criminal law.

“It was based on this problem of violence that Ibadan elite came together to support Ajimobi in 2010. The meeting was held in Ikeja, Lagos.

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“PDP is known for violence. It is its trade mark. Violence is synonymous with PDP. People are comparing now. For somebody to bring back ‘Auxiliary’ is unthinkable. I tendered guns against him in court him during the Ajimobi days. The mark of leadership is the ability to say no. That’s why this government is unable to deal with violence.

“Our chances are very bright in 2003. It can’t be better.  Insecurity is so high in Oyo State today.”

Akintola said that the Federal Government might lose about 44 out of the 68 items on the Exclusive List in the ongoing efforts to review the constitution.

The erudite lawyer, who is the lead consultant to the Senate on constitution review, said Nigerians across the six regions are almost united in their quest for the review of the constitution, given the content of the memoranda received from stakeholders.

He said: “If they carry it through, Nigeria won’t have more than 24 items on the Exclusive List. Over 98 per cent of the memos received across Nigeria support the state police.”

He said even in the current arrangement, states had some power that many governors were unaware of.

“Most of the states are not aware of the power available to them.  For instance, states can generate up to five megawatts of electricity, but governors don’t know.”

He said, for a state like Oyo, four megawatts of electricity will sufficiently meet its needs.

He said states can embark on such project, which is capable of transforming their economy, provide employment and boost their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).