Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that he will not descend into personal attacks with the camp of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, over the forthcoming Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan on November 15 and 16.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and key figure in the PDP crisis, had earlier rejected the planned convention, insisting he had no knowledge of it.
Reacting after the Southern Zonal Consultative Meeting of the PDP held in Lagos, Makinde dismissed the opposition from the Wike camp, saying:
“Personally, when people go low, or they go into the gutters, I don’t go with them.”
Southern PDP Leaders Meet on Zoning
The Lagos meeting, tagged “PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit,” was attended by Makinde, Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri, Enugu Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai (representing Governor Peter Mbah), PDP Board of Trustees Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, Senator Ben Obi, and other prominent party leaders.
Also present were former Deputy National Chairman of PDP Chief Olabode George, ex-Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Ebonyi Governor Sam Egwu, former Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel, former Oyo Assembly Speaker Jumoke Akinjide, Dr. Ali Odefa, Chief Emma Ogidi, Hon. Nnena Ukeje, and Dr. Eddy Olafeso.
Makinde, however, did not disclose the resolutions reached at the meeting, stressing that the decisions on zoning would be communicated to the National Executive Council (NEC), which meets on Monday.
PDP Alive and Rebuilding, Says Makinde
The Oyo governor assured that the party was reaching out to aggrieved members to strengthen unity and present the PDP as a credible alternative to the ruling APC.
He said the presence of respected leaders at the summit was proof that the PDP remains alive.
“I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here. It should be about what are we giving to Nigerians because they are watching, you know. We want to give a PDP. In Oyo state, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead.
“In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second in each of those. It’s some indication to us that if we continue to work hard, if we continue to strive hard, if we continue to bring our people together, we’ll get to a point where Nigerians will really start listening to us.”
