Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday broke his silence on his rift with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, disclosing that their fallout stemmed from Wike’s alleged declaration to “hold down” the Peoples Democratic Party for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Wike and Makinde were prominent members of the G-5 governors who opposed the PDP’s choice of Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate and Iyorchia Ayu as national chairman ahead of the 2023 general election, because both positions were occupied by politicians from the North.
Speaking during a media chat in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Makinde said the relationship collapsed after Wike made what he described as a “shocking” declaration during a meeting with President Tinubu, which he said the President neither requested nor endorsed.
Makinde said, “The real issue was that I was in a meeting with the President. Wike, the President’s Chief of Staff and two others were also at that meeting. And Wike said to the President, ‘I will hold the PDP for you against 2027.’
“I was in shock. So we got to the veranda, and I said, ‘Wike, did we agree to this?’ The real issue is that Wike would like to support the President for 2027 – that is fine; it is within his right to do that.
But also some of us who want to ensure that democracy survive and we don’t drift into a one-party state, and we want to ensure that the PDP survive, he should also allow us to do our own thing. That is just the issue between Wike and me.”
But, the minister’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, slammed Makinde, describing the Oyo State governor as selfish in his political dealings.
Olayinka, in a post via his official X handle, accused Makinde of lacking loyalty to any individual or political party, insisting that the governor was driven solely by personal ambition.
Giving what he described as a rundown of Makinde’s political trajectory, Olayinka alleged that the Oyo governor joined the G-5 governors only to secure his re-election in 2023.
He further claimed that Makinde would, as he had allegedly done in the past, dump the PDP for another platform after the 2027 election.
Olayinka wrote, “Ibadan Gomina General has never been loyal to anyone or any political party; he is only about himself.
“In 2007, he left PDP for ANPP because he failed to get a senatorial ticket. In 2015, he left PDP for SDP because he failed to get the governorship ticket. In 2019, if not for the fact that he got the PDP ticket for governorship, he would have decamped to another party.
“In 2023, he joined the PDP G-5 governors to ensure his re-election. He is Governor Seyi Makinde, and surely, after 2027, he will be in another party.”
He also accused Makinde of working against Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, during the 2022 governorship election in a bid to remain the only PDP governor in the South-West.
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