Dare Babalola
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has boasted about his early business acumen, revealing he raked in $1 million at just 29 in 1997.
Makinde took a swipe at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, noting he was probably still in law school at the time.
Amid ongoing tensions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Makinde, during a media chat at the Government House in Ibadan, recounted securing his first major contract with Mobil.
The governor said, “This is the first contract that Mobil awarded to Makon. Within that one year, I made $1 million. I was 29 years old in 1997, and perhaps at that time, he (Wike) had just left law school.”
Makinde, born on December 25, 1967, founded Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited (METS) in 1997 after years in the oil and gas sector. Records confirm Wike attended the Nigerian Law School in 1997 following his graduation from Rivers State University of Science and Technology.
The governor’s remarks extended to political differences, revealing the root of his fallout with Wike. “The real issue was that I was in a meeting with the president [Bola Tinubu], Wike, the president’s chief of staff, and a few others. Wike told the president that he will hold PDP for him in 2027,” Makinde said.
He emphasised that Wike’s pledge was unsolicited, “The president did not even ask him. He was the one who volunteered to do that.”
Makinde distanced himself from any such arrangement, declaring, “Wike would like to support the president for 2027, but that is his choice. I have my own choice as well, and I will never support the president for 2027.”
