Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has disclosed that he turned down a request by President Bola Tinubu to help coordinate the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, citing his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Makinde made the revelation on Tuesday during a media chat in Ibadan, explaining that the discussion arose during earlier engagements with the president over the nomination of a minister from Oyo State after the formation of the federal cabinet.
According to the governor, President Tinubu made a direct appeal to him. “He said, ‘Seyi, it’s you that I want to help me organise APC in Oyo State,’” Makinde recalled.
However, the governor said he rejected the request outright. “I told him, ‘No sir, I cannot help you organise APC in Oyo State because I am of the PDP,” he stated.
Makinde also revealed that he attended a meeting where the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, openly declared his intention to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. He said the president’s chief of staff and other officials were present at the meeting.
According to Makinde, Wike told the president he would “hold PDP” for him ahead of the 2027 elections a comment the Oyo governor said left him shocked.
While acknowledging Wike’s right to support any candidate of his choice, Makinde stressed that he would not participate in any arrangement that weakens the opposition or undermines Nigeria’s democracy.
“We must ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria. We must not drift into a one party state, and the PDP must be allowed to survive,” he said.
