Those frying Akara and wishing me dead over Circular Road project should know that all of us will die one day, says Seyi Makinde

Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday, November 24, admonished those who staged protests over the Circular Road demolition and fried bean cakes, popularly known as Akara, that they should know that everyone would die one day.

Some of the protesters were seen frying bean cakes which they called “Akara Seyi” and said they were doing so in order to let the world know that the governor has gone beyond his bounds.

However, speaking on the issue when he presented the 2026 Budget proposal to the state House of Assembly on Monday, Makinde urged them to stop frying the bean cakes, telling them that whether they liked it or not, everyone will return to their creator one day.

He said: “I watched on social media where some people were frying bean cakes, saying they were frying Seyi’s bean cakes. Don’t use death to scare someone like me, all of us will go one day.”

Makinde also said his administration would engage with residents affected by the Circular Road Project, beginning from Wednesday.

The governor promised to visit the Circular Road, listen to residents, and explore all possibilities, including adequate compensation and resettlement in line with his commitment to a people-centred government.

He explained that the acquisition for the project was not done by his administration, noting that he was compelled to release documents showing that the previous government acquired 500 metres on each side of the project and published the decision in a November 2018 edition of a national daily.

Makinde said: “When I took up this job, I envisaged situations like this. You did not come to beg me to become governor. I came out to say I wanted to do something good for this state. We acknowledge that progress must be people-centred, and we remain committed to ensuring that development remains fair, humane, and inclusive.

“So, I will honour my promise to visit, to listen, and to explore all possibilities, including resettlement and adequate compensation. I will start this week.

“On Wednesday, I will visit Ologuneru. But let me say this: the Circular Road is not just about connectivity; it is about equity, growth, and shared prosperity.

“I was forced to release from the archive a document showing adverts in the Nigerian Tribune of November 24, 2018, indicating that the state government at that time acquired 500 metres on the right and 500 metres on the left. Was I the governor then? No.

“But we are engaging with our people. I promised a previous set of protesters, when they came under the bridge, that we would integrate them. They should also know that in about 18 months, I will be out of the office. I have started preparations for the transition.

“In 2027, other players will be here. If some people think they can attack Makinde and politicise this issue, maybe the people will vote for them, but I can tell you that the people of this state are wiser.

“The next set of leaders, I can only prop them up, expose them, and encourage them. The people of this state will be the ultimate deciders.”

The governor further stated that his administration focuses on building strong institutions and not personalities to drive the leadership and economic expansion of the state.

He said, “Our focus has been to create institutional legacies, ensuring governance is system-based, not personality-based. In Oyo State, we don’t want strong men; we want strong institutions, and we have created some, including OYACA and the Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority.

“We will continue to strengthen our civil service, digitise government processes, and entrench transparency as the standard for leadership.

“Our legacy will not be measured by buildings alone but by the values that sustain progress long after we have left the stage.

“They talk about the Circular Road, but we need industries. Our children are leaving school; we need commercial solid minerals exploration in Oyo State. People talk about governors or states now getting billions in federal allocations. Did the increase come from productivity? Oyo State is moving from a consumptive economy to a productive one.

“So, if we are here in front of you saying, ‘Let us do this together,’ it is because we know Oyo State can stand on its own, be productive, and true to its name as the pacesetter, setting the pace for others.

“We have not failed you in over six years, and we will not fail you now. You have stood firm through difficult times, trusted the process, and believed in the vision. You have demonstrated beyond what I can even fathom. We are not a government that repays good with bad. Together, we will continue to grow, innovate, and prosper.”