Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has disclosed that his political fallout with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was triggered by an alleged pledge by the minister to undermine the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in favour of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Makinde made the revelation on Tuesday during a media interaction in Ibadan, where he spoke at length on the lingering tensions between him and Wike, both of whom were key members of the G-5 governors that opposed the PDP’s zoning arrangement ahead of the 2023 general election.
According to Makinde, the relationship broke down after Wike allegedly told President Tinubu during a private meeting that he would “hold down” the PDP for the President ahead of the 2027 election—a statement Makinde described as shocking and unsolicited.
“I was present at a meeting with the President. Wike, the President’s Chief of Staff and two others were there. Wike told the President, ‘I will hold the PDP for you against 2027,’” Makinde said. “I was stunned. Later, I asked him if we ever agreed to that.”
The governor said while Wike was free to support Tinubu’s re-election, he should not obstruct others who are committed to preserving opposition politics and preventing Nigeria from sliding into a one-party system.
Makinde added that it became even more troubling when he realised that President Tinubu neither asked for nor endorsed Wike’s alleged pledge. Efforts to persuade the minister to reconsider his position, he said, were unsuccessful.
“That was when I decided I could not be part of it. I told him clearly that I would not support the President in 2027,” Makinde stated, adding that he regretted supporting Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
He warned that weakening opposition parties could endanger Nigeria’s democracy and potentially spark mass unrest. “Once you push a country toward a one-party state, you are courting instability. Nigerians may react in ways we cannot imagine,” he cautioned.
Makinde also criticised the wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that political realignments do not address the economic hardship facing citizens. “Has hunger defected? Has anger defected?” he asked.
Reacting to Makinde’s comments, Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, dismissed the governor’s claims and accused him of political opportunism. In a post on X, Olayinka alleged that Makinde lacked loyalty to any party or individual and was driven purely by personal ambition.
Olayinka claimed Makinde had switched political platforms in the past whenever his ambitions were threatened and suggested he might do so again after 2027. He also accused the Oyo governor of working against Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke during the 2022 governorship election to retain political dominance in the South-West.
On the crisis within the PDP, Makinde faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing it of bias in handling the party’s internal disputes. He maintained that the PDP convention held in Ibadan was lawful and properly conducted.
Addressing speculations about a possible presidential ambition, Makinde said he was qualified to aspire to the nation’s highest office, citing his two-term governorship experience and professional background in the oil and gas sector.
He concluded by stressing that his administration’s focus was on building strong institutions rather than pursuing infrastructure alone, insisting that sustainable governance depends on systems that endure beyond individual tenures.
