Makinde was out of Nigeria for about 10 days vacation in the U.S. He returned to the state on Tuesday, January 10, 2021.

Just a day after his arrival, the governor was in attendance at the “annual interfaith service” to mark the beginning of 2021, flouting the quarantine act.

Makinde was supposed to self-isolate for 14 days as stipulated by the act.

Makinde’s spokesman Taiwo Adisa, however, justified his principal’s action.

Adisa admitted that travellers used to quarantine for 14 days “but in his own (Makinde’s) case, he conducted COVID-19 test before travelling. He had another one done on him in America and even before he entered Nigeria. He will do another one in two weeks.”

“He social-distanced at the event and did not shake hands. What is the issue with that”, he said.

This is not the first time the governor would downplay or breach the COVID-19 protocols.

In March 2020, Makinde allowed the South-west zonal unification rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the heat of the first wave, saying there was no coronavirus in the PDP, unlike the All Progressives Congress, APC.

He later apologised to the people holding such an event at that time. The governor tested positive for the virus just days later.

Nigeria is currently witnessing the second wave of the virus outbreak.

Nigerian currently has a total number of 103,999 cases and 82,555 patients have been discharged from hospitals after treatment.