The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over his comments on the security situation in the state, describing them as a misrepresentation of the constitutional responsibilities of state governors.

In a statement issued in Ibadan on Sunday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the party also rejected Makinde’s remarks that he was constrained in tackling insecurity because all security structures are controlled by the Federal Government.

APC described the governor’s comments as “a height of cluelessness, insincerity and criminal ineptitude,” adding that he should not shift responsibility for security challenges in the state.

The party further said Makinde should resign from office and allow his deputy to complete the remaining one year of his tenure.

“Parochial leaders like Makinde pose a grave danger to the growth and development of the Nigerian society, and it is important for the electorate to avoid them in future elections,” the statement said.

The governor reportedly said in his acceptance speech as the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Ibadan on Saturday that there was little he could do to rescue the schoolchildren and other people abducted by bandits in two remote communities in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, since he has no absolute control over all security agencies.

The PUNCH reports that Makinde had, on Thursday, renewed calls for the creation of state police following the abduction of teachers and students at three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

The governor, who made the remarks during the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly primaries organised by the Allied Peoples Movement at Watershed Celebration Centre, Old Ife Road, Ibadan, said the incident had made the current period difficult for both him and the state.

He also urged the Federal Government to empower state Houses of Assembly to facilitate the establishment of state police structures rather than leaving the responsibility solely to the Inspector-General of Police.

However, the APC, in a statement on Sunday, said, “Makinde could not find any fault in the nation’s Constitution as he gleefully sworn on it twice to protect the lives and properties of the people of the state. He has been using the mightiness of his office to control power, resources and people without any complaints until now that he is faced with a serious challenge which came his way on account of incompetence, cluelessness and ego.

“Sad enough, he is trying to take advantage of the ugly development to whip up political sentiments to drive the cause of a mirage which he calls presidential ambition in 2027. With his latest insensitive comments, Makinde has again unveiled the hypocrisy in him and it is time he quit the Office of the Governor since he has said that he lacked the wherewithal to guarantee the security needs of the residents of the state.

“His predecessors operated under the same constitutional provision and there was never a time in the administrations of late former Governor Lamidi Adesina; former Governor Rashidi Ladoja; late former Governors Adebayo Alao-Akala and Abiola Ajimobi the security architecture of the Pacesetter State was this threatened.

“We could recall that late Ajimobi established a Security Trust Fund through which adequate funding of the sector was provided while he ensured the involvement of all relevant stakeholders unlike what we are experiencing at the moment.

“Certainly, Governor Makinde’s presidential ambition is dead on arrival but our fear is about the amount of losses, deprivations and wastefulness which the good people of the state would be subjected to in the next one year under his leadership.

“Oyo people deserve a team player, sincere and humble person as their governor and since Makinde has failed to demonstrate this in the last seven years, he should just apologize and quit the state. He should resign from office immediately and allow his deputy to complete the last year of his two-term tenure,” Sadare added.