Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has made his position on the 2027 presidential election unmistakably clear: while FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is entitled to support President Bola Tinubu, he should not expect others to follow his lead.
Speaking during a media chat in Ibadan on Tuesday, Makinde stressed that political loyalty is a personal choice and not something anyone can impose. According to him, Wike’s open declaration of support for Tinubu does not bind other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recalling a past meeting involving himself, President Tinubu and Wike, the Oyo governor said he was stunned by the former Rivers State governor’s comments at the time.
“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.”
Makinde urged the FCT minister to respect differing opinions within the party, saying, “Allow us to make our choice,” while adding that his immediate focus is to ensure that “PDP survives.”
Both Makinde and Wike were key members of the influential G5 bloc of PDP governors during the 2023 general election. The group—also comprising Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Samuel Ortom (Benue)—famously backed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after internal disagreements within the PDP.
At the heart of their protest was the refusal of then-PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to step aside for a southerner, despite the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, also hailing from the North. The G5 argued that equity and balance demanded Ayu’s resignation.
Following Tinubu’s victory, however, cracks began to show within the alliance. Relations between Makinde and Wike have since worsened, culminating in a PDP convention held in Oyo State where Wike and other senior party figures, including former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose, were suspended.
The faction loyal to Makinde accused Wike of engaging in anti-party activities—allegations the minister has consistently denied. Despite the suspension, Wike has maintained that he remains a PDP member and has repeatedly reaffirmed his intention to support Tinubu in the 2027 presidential race.
For Makinde, however, the message is firm and final: political choices are personal, and his own path in 2027 will not include backing President Tinubu.
