Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde says he will not support President Tinubu in 2027, urging Nyesom Wike to respect others’ political choices
Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State, said on Tuesday in Ibadan that he will not support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, calling on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to allow members of the Peoples Democratic Party to make independent political choices.
Also read: Makinde dismisses APC defection rumours, reaffirms PDP loyalty
Makinde made the declaration during a media chat, expressing surprise over reports that Wike had promised to “hold the PDP” for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 polls.
“I was in a meeting with President Tinubu, Nyesom Wike, and others when Wike volunteered to hold the PDP for Tinubu against 2027, and I was in shock,” Makinde said. “Wike can support the president in 2027, but I will not.”
The Oyo governor, a senior PDP figure, said he had made his position clear to the president during the meeting, stressing that he could not assist in organising the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State.
“I said, no, sir, I can never help you organise the APC in Oyo State because I am of the PDP,” Makinde said.
He acknowledged Wike’s right to back Tinubu but insisted that such a stance should not be imposed on others within the party.
According to Makinde, the attempt to align the PDP with the president has deepened internal tensions.
“The real issue is that Wike wants to support the president for 2027, and that is within his rights,” he said.
“But some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria and that the PDP survives as well. He should allow us to make our own choices.”
Makinde said he initially sought to resolve the matter through private engagement but later confronted Wike directly when those efforts failed. He described the disagreement as central to the ongoing crisis within the PDP.
Turning to governance, Makinde said his administration’s focus remains on strengthening democracy and economic opportunity rather than political patronage. He reiterated that his priority is to safeguard the future of the PDP and prevent Nigeria from drifting towards a one-party state.
He also outlined his government’s approach to poverty alleviation, rejecting direct handouts in favour of policies that promote productivity.
Makinde cited the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery programme, which subsidises transport for vulnerable groups to support access to education and economic activity.
Makinde and Wike were both part of a bloc of PDP governors who supported Tinubu of the APC during the 2023 presidential election.
Also read: Osun PDP Warns Oyo Governor Makinde Over Primaries
His latest comments underscore widening fault lines within the opposition party as political alignments begin to take shape ahead of 2027.
