…Says, he will not support the president
Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde has revealed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT), Nyesom Wike offered to “hold” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election without prompting from the President.
Makinde, who stated this during a media chat at the Government House in Ibadan on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, said that Wike unsolicited offer to give away the PDP ahead of 2027, was one of shock at the private meeting with the president that was attended by him (Makinde), Wike, the Chief of Staff to the President- Femi Gbajabiamila and a few other officials, when Wike assured the president of his readiness to mobilize the PDP in support of Tinubu’s re-election bid.
He pointedly accused Wike of deliberately undermining the PDP just to strengthen the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Tinubu’s ambition ahead of 2027.
In the words of Makinde; “Wike told the president that he would hold the PDP for him in 2027. I was in shock. The offer was neither requested by President Tinubu nor discussed with him beforehand. I immediately questioned Wike over the statement.
“We got to the veranda and asked ourselves, did we agree to this? I don’t like talking about people; I talk about events. The real issue is that some people would like to support the President for 2027, and that is within their right.
“I even told a mutual friend of ours that maybe he was talking about an errand the President never sent him. I said let’s watch and see if he would back off. He never did,” Makinde said.
The Oyo governor said that was the moment he decided to openly confront Wike, adding that after Wike refused to back off, he told him clearly that I would never be part of the plan.
He said; That is why I will not be supporting the President for 2027”.
Makinde insisted that his own concern was about the survival of opposition politics and democracy in Nigeria, saying; “Some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria, that we don’t drift into a one-party state, and that the PDP survives. Those of us who want to do that should be allowed to do our own thing,” he said.
Makinde, a former ally of Wike in the G5 group that opposed the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said that he initially hoped that Wike would reconsider his position, since his unsolicited pledge may not have been authorised by the President and emphasised that he would not be part of any such a political arrangement.
“Wike can support the president in 2027 if he wants, but I will not. I have my own choice, and I will never support the president for 2027.”
The revelation by Makinde underscored the deepened crisis within the PDP which has witnessed a faction loyal to Wike sprang up and challenging the Party’s national leadership as Wike insisted that the PDP should not produce a presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
