Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has escalated his public break with former ally and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, reiterating his refusal to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s anticipated bid for re-election in 2027 and framing the dispute as a test of democratic autonomy within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking during a media chat in Ibadan on Tuesday, Makinde offered a vivid personal narrative to underscore the depth of his differences with Wike — including a revealing point about their contrasting career trajectories. Recalling his own early success in business, Makinde said:
“Within one year, I made $1 million in my pocket. I was 29 in 1997. Wike, perhaps at that time, had just left law school…”
The anecdote was used by Makinde to highlight how his independent successes shaped his rise in both business and politics and to signal fundamental personal and political differences with Wike.
The immediate trigger for the widening rift, according to Makinde, occurred in a meeting attended by President Tinubu, Wike, and other senior figures. Makinde said he was taken aback when Wike told the President he would “hold the PDP for him” ahead of the 2027 elections — a pledge the Oyo governor insists was unsolicited and beyond the minister’s mandate.
“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, adding emphatically, “Wike can support the president in 2027, but I will not.”
While acknowledging that Wike has the right to offer personal political support to Tinubu, Makinde argued that no individual — not even a senior PDP member — should determine political allegiance for others within the party. He framed his own stance as a defence of multiparty democracy and an effort to prevent Nigeria from sliding toward a de facto one-party state.
“The President did not ask him to do this; he volunteered. Wike is within his rights to support Tinubu,” Makinde said, “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’s comments underscore the deepening factionalism within the PDP — a party rocked this year by internal tensions, defections, and leadership disputes. The governor’s faction is pushing for party autonomy and a robust opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Wike, on the other hand, has signalled a more conciliatory approach toward Tinubu, insisting he remains in the PDP while openly backing the President’s agenda.
Both figures were among the G5 governors — a bloc of PDP leaders that controversially supported Tinubu’s 2023 election bid before fracturing over internal disagreements and power struggles within the opposition party.
Makinde said he attempted to resolve the disagreement with Wike privately, including through mutual associates, but that efforts were unsuccessful — prompting a firm public break.
In addition to rejecting any plan to organise for Tinubu, Makinde has affirmed his own political ambition, signalling his belief that he is qualified for the presidency should he decide to contest in 2027. He cited his tenure as a two-term governor and professional experience as part of his credentials.
For now, Makinde says his priority remains protecting the PDP’s relevance and ensuring a competitive democratic landscape in Nigeria. As he put it, the choice of who to support in the coming election — whether within or outside the PDP — is a matter of personal and political principle.
