Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has dismissed speculation that he may defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he remains comfortable within the opposition party despite recent defections by some of its members.
Makinde made the clarification on Thursday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Asked whether he was considering a move to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the governor responded that he had no intention of leaving the PDP.
“I am comfortable in the PDP,” Makinde said.
He explained that addressing Nigeria’s challenges often requires collaboration across party lines, stressing that national interest should override partisan considerations.
According to him, certain issues demand a bipartisan approach where political parties work together to chart the best path forward for the country.
The Oyo governor arrived at the Presidential Villa shortly after Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, who recently defected from the PDP to the APC. Both governors were received separately before proceeding to meet with the president.
Makinde was a prominent member of the G5 group of PDP governors who opposed the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 general election.
The group argued that the PDP breached its informal zoning arrangement by fielding a northern candidate after the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, also from the North, insisting that power should rotate to the South in the interest of equity and national unity.
During the 2023 presidential election, Makinde and other G5 governors openly worked against the PDP candidate and supported Tinubu, who went on to win the election. Other members of the group included former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
