Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has revealed that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in a meeting promised to “hold the PDP” to ease President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
The governor, on Tuesday, during a media chat in Ibadan, Oyo State, noted that Mr Wike had the right to make his political choice as others could.
“I was in a meeting with President Tinubu, Nyesom Wike, and others when Wike volunteered to hold the PDP for Tinubu against 2027, and I was in shock. Wike can support the president in 2027, but I will not,” Mr Makinde said.
Affirming his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Makinde explained that he informed President Tinubu of his inability to work with the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress.
“I said, no, sir, I can never help you organise the APC in Oyo State because I am of the PDP,” Mr Makinde stated.
The governor noted that the feud between him and the FCT minister stemmed from his refusal to join forces with Mr Wike, despite being in an opposition party, to support President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
He stated, “The real issue is that Wike would like to support the President for 2027. That’s fine. It is within his rights. But some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria, and that PDP survives as well. He should allow us to make our own choices.
“I tried to engage him through a mutual friend, but when he did not back off, I confronted him directly. From that day, I made it clear I would never be part of this. Wike can support him, but it is also within my right to decide who I will support or what I will do in 2027. This explains the current conflict within the PDP.
“It is within his right to do that. But also, it is within my own right to decide within the political space who I will support or what I will do in 2027,” Makinde said.
The governor noted that his efforts, alongside others, towards preserving the existence of the Peoples Democratic Party, were to ensure that the country’s political landscape does not become a one-party system.
“Some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria, we don’t drift into a one-party state. And we want to ensure that PDP survives. He should also allow us to do our own thing,” Mr Makinde said.
Emphasising on the need for a multi-party system, the governor stated that Mr Tinubu has the constitutional ability to restrain the minister if necessary.
“The President has the power to call his minister to order and allow democracy to survive in Nigeria,” he said.
Commenting on the state of the PDP, Mr Makinde insisted that there was no faction in the party.
He stated, “Where PDP is today, there is no faction. We held a convention here in Ibadan, we gave adequate notice to INEC, which is all that we are required to do under the law.”