Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde says he will not support President Bola Tinubu in 2027, insisting Nyesom Wike cannot dictate political choices within the PDP
2027 Election: I Won’t Support Tinubu, Wike Can’t Decide for PDP — Makinde
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has publicly distanced himself from President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, insisting that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has no authority to dictate political choices for other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Makinde made the remarks on Tuesday during a media interaction in Ibadan, where he reacted to Wike’s open declaration of support for Tinubu and his comments about influencing the PDP ahead of the next general election.
According to the governor, political decisions remain a matter of personal conviction, stressing that while Wike is free to back Tinubu, others within the party must also be allowed to chart their own political course.
Makinde recalled a private meeting involving himself, President Tinubu, and Wike, during which the former Rivers State governor allegedly made a startling political commitment.
“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 urged the FCT minister to respect divergent political views within the PDP, saying his immediate priority is the survival and stability of the opposition party.
“He should allow us to make our choice,” Makinde said, adding that his focus is to ensure that “the PDP survives.”
Makinde and Wike, both PDP stalwarts, were key figures in the influential G5 group of governors that worked against the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.
The G5 comprised then-governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers).
The group supported Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the PDP’s former National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, declined to step down for a southerner, despite the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, also emerging from the North.
They argued that the party’s zoning principle had been violated and that equity demanded Ayu’s resignation.
However, following Tinubu’s victory, relations between Makinde and Wike reportedly deteriorated.
A few months ago, the PDP held a convention in Oyo State, during which Wike and other prominent party figures, including former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose, were suspended over alleged anti-party activities.
The Makinde-backed faction accused Wike of undermining the party, allegations the FCT minister and his allies have consistently denied.
Despite his suspension, Wike has maintained that he remains a PDP member and has repeatedly reaffirmed his intention to support President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, a position now openly rejected by Makinde. Read More
