Makinde, Alli clash over diesel-powered streetlights

The gubernatorial campaign of All Progressives Congress in Oyo State has come under scrutiny for its choice of diesel-powered streetlights. Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the campaign's head of media and publicity, has criticized Governor Seyi Makinde, questioning his engineering expertise and calling the project a "tragic irony." According to Alli, Makinde, who studied electrical engineering, should be able to provide a sustainable solution for the streetlights, which have been funded with about N400bn of state money.

Instead, the administration continues to use fuel-guzzling generators—a costly, environmentally harmful arrangement, according to Alli. In response, Makinde's Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, defended the use of generators, stating that the state government is committed to keeping the state illuminated and secure.

Olanrewaju argued that the state's unreliable electricity supply from the national grid necessitated this measure, and that the APC-led Federal Government, including Makinde's party, has failed to deliver the promised regular electricity supply.