Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has publicly addressed his rift with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, revealing it stemmed from what he called a “shocking” political declaration by Wike in the presence of President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking during a media chat in Ibadan, Makinde stated that the fallout occurred after Wike allegedly vowed to “hold down” the Peoples Democratic Party to secure President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
“I was in a meeting with the President. Wike, the President’s Chief of Staff, and two others were also there,” Makinde recounted. “And Wike said to the President, ‘I will hold the PDP for you against 2027.’ I was in shock.”
The governor clarified that President Tinubu did not request or endorse the statement. Makinde explained that while he respects Wike’s right to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, he believes in preserving multiparty democracy and strengthening the PDP.
“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,” Makinde said. “But also, some of us who want to ensure that democracy survives and we don’t drift into a one-party state, and we want to ensure that the PDP survives, he should also allow us to do our own thing. That is just the issue between Wike and me.”
Recall that both Makinde and Wike were key members of the G-5 governors within the PDP who opposed the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and its then-national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, on grounds of regional imbalance.
