Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has given further insight into his decision not to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, a stance that has continued to expose deepening divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Gatekeepers News reports that Makinde spoke on Tuesday during a media chat in Ibadan, where he reflected on his personal journey, political philosophy and widening differences with key figures in the party, particularly the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Recounting his early professional life, the governor said his career path and financial independence were firmly established long before he ventured into partisan politics. He disclosed that at the age of 29, he secured a major contract with oil multinational Mobil, valued at about $1 million, describing the deal as a defining moment in his career.
Makinde noted that at the time he clinched the contract, Wike, now a major figure in the PDP’s internal crisis, had “probably just left law school.” He said the experience shaped his outlook on leadership, independence and decision-making, stressing that his political choices are guided by conviction rather than patronage or external pressure.
The governor also addressed his rift with Wike, revealing that tensions escalated during a high-level meeting attended by President Bola Tinubu, Wike, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other officials. According to Makinde, the meeting took an unexpected turn when Wike openly pledged to “hold 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 President 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 stressed that while he respects Wike’s personal political choices, he could not be part of any arrangement that compromises the independence of the PDP or weakens democratic competition.
Makinde said he made his position clear to the FCT minister shortly after the meeting.
“I told him from that day that I would never be part of this. Wike can support Tinubu, 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.
Despite efforts to engage Wike and close the widening rift, Makinde said the situation has remained unchanged, compelling him to take a firm and public position.
The governor’s remarks have once again highlighted the growing divisions within the PDP, with the party increasingly split into two broad camps. One faction, aligned with Wike and his allies, is widely seen as sympathetic to President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while the other, led by Makinde, insists on party autonomy, internal cohesion and the preservation of a strong multiparty democracy.
