Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has explained why the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, defeated 17 other candidates in last weekend’s election in the state.

The former Lagos State governor won 12 states, including Oyo, in the election.

He polled 449,884 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who garnered 182,977 votes in the election.

Peter Obi of the Labour Party and his New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) counterpart, Rabiu Kwankwso, got 99,110 and 40,977 votes respectively.

Makinde, who featured on Splash FM’s State Affairs with Desmond Obilo, on Saturday, said he was happy to be involved in the process that “redrew the country’s electoral map.”

The governor declared that he stood for equity and fairness.

He said democracy was about people choosing their leaders through the ballot, adding that residents of Oyo voted for a candidate of their choice.

The governor also dismissed claims that he delivered his ward to Tinubu.

Makinde is one of the five PDP governors that stayed away from the party’s presidential election programmes over the retention of Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s national chairman.

Others are Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

He said: “I supported fairness, justice, and equity. I supported a united Nigeria, a Nigeria that gives opportunity to every part of this country.

“You know, you allow people to express themselves. A lot of our people and that is what they decided to do. They decided that look, we want after eight years of presidency in the North, they want it to come to the South and this place being South-West, one of theirs was a candidate, so they supported one of their own.

“I am glad that I am a part of a process that redrew the electoral map of Nigeria. That arrogance, I believe with the result of last Saturday’s election, is basically behind us. Now we know that people will have to seek alignment.

`” If you want to rule this country, you are not just going to say oh, because I am from a certain part of this country, then that is the only qualification I require to rule this country. Now, you have to build bridges, and reach out to others.”