Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has revealed the personal and political experiences that have influenced his refusal to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election, laying bare the cracks within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking during a media chat on Tuesday in Ibadan, Makinde reflected on his early business success, recalling that he secured a $1 million contract with Mobil at just 29 years old, a milestone he said marked a turning point in his life.
The governor noted that the deal came at a time when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had likely just completed law school, underscoring what he described as contrasting career trajectories.
Makinde said his political disagreement with Wike later deepened during a meeting involving the FCT minister, President Tinubu, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other senior officials.
According to the Oyo governor, the encounter took a troubling turn when Wike declared his intention to politically secure the PDP for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The President did not ask him to do this; he volunteered. Wike is within his rights to support Tinubu, but those of us who want to ensure the survival of multiparty democracy and the PDP should also be allowed to make our own decisions,” Makinde said.
He disclosed that despite attempts to engage Wike afterward, the situation did not change, forcing him to draw a clear line.
“I told him from that day that I would never be a part of this. Wike can support him, and that is within his right, but it is equally my right to decide who I will support and what role I will play in 2027,” he added.
Makinde’s remarks further expose the deepening rift within the PDP, with two distinct power blocs emerging ahead of the next general election. One faction, aligned with Wike, is widely perceived as tilting toward President Tinubu, while the other, led by Makinde, insists on party independence and the preservation of multiparty democracy as 2027 approaches.
