Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State, has disclosed his reasons for not endorsing President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 reelection campaign, exposing a deepening political divide inside the Peoples Democratic Party.
Speaking at a media conference on Tuesday in the state capital of Ibadan, Seyi Makinde discussed his early career and recalled that at the age of 29, he signed his first significant deal worth $1 million with Mobil.
The governor said this at a period when Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, had most likely just graduated from law school.
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According to Governor Seyi Makinde, the agreement was a turning point that influenced his ascent in both business and politics.
“Within one year, I made $1 million in my pocket. I was 29 in 1997. Wike, perhaps at that time, had just left law school, and his next job was as a local government chairman, he said.
Regarding his political disagreements with Wike, the governor claimed that at a meeting with him, Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff, and other officials, tensions with the FCT minister emerged.
Seyi Makinde claimed that Wike stunned the President by promising to “hold the PDP” for him before 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.
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Despite efforts to engage Wike, Makinde said the situation remained unchanged, prompting him to take a firm stance.
“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.
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Makinde’s remarks demonstrate how the PDP is becoming more divided, with two major groups emerging. Wike is the leader of one group that is thought to favour President Tinubu.
Ahead of the 2027 elections, Makinde’s opposing group promotes party autonomy and the maintenance of multiparty democracy.
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