Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared that he will not support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, saying his disagreement with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is rooted in the principle that individuals must be free to make independent political choices.
Gatekeepers News reports that Makinde made the remarks during a media chat in Ibadan while responding to questions about his political relationship with Wike, a former ally within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He said although Wike has the right to support any candidate of his choice, including Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), such decisions should not be imposed on others within the party.
According to the governor, his concerns deepened after a meeting involving President Tinubu, Wike and other political leaders, during which the former Rivers State governor reportedly pledged to mobilise the PDP in support of Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“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. Wike can support the president in 2027, but I will not,” Makinde said.
He stressed that his immediate political priority is the survival and stability of the PDP, adding that party members should be allowed to take positions based on their personal convictions. Makinde maintained that political choices should not be dictated by any individual, regardless of influence or past alliances.
Makinde and Wike were both key members of the G5 group of PDP governors who broke ranks with the party leadership during the 2023 general elections. The group also included former governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Samuel Ortom of Benue.
The G5 governors backed Tinubu following disagreements with the PDP leadership over zoning arrangements. At the heart of the dispute was the refusal of the then PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to step down for a southerner, even though the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was also from the North. The governors argued that the arrangement violated principles of balance and equity within the party.
After Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election, internal tensions within the PDP intensified. Wike later accepted an appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in Tinubu’s administration, further straining his relationship with Makinde.
The rift widened when a PDP convention held in Oyo State announced disciplinary measures against Wike and other senior party figures, including former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose. The faction aligned with Makinde accused Wike of anti-party activities, allegations which Wike and his supporters have denied.
Despite the disciplinary actions, Wike has continued to insist that he remains a member of the PDP and has openly declared his intention to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Makinde, however, reiterated that political loyalty should not override democratic choice, stressing that his stance is not driven by personal rivalry but by the need to protect the integrity of the party and ensure that members are free to determine their political futures without coercion.
