Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has reassured that he has no plans to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite recent defections from the party.
Makinde made the remarks following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Asked if he was considering joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) like some of his former PDP colleagues, Makinde said he is comfortable in the PDP.
He emphasized that tackling Nigeria’s challenges requires a bipartisan approach, with input from all political parties to serve the national interest. “We may have issues in this country where you need a bipartisan approach, where there won’t be an issue of APC talking alone or PDP talking alone; where we will have to look at what is the best foot forward in the interest of our nation. So, when you get to that junction, you need everybody on board,” he said.
The Oyo governor arrived at the Aso Villa shortly after Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, who recently defected from the PDP to the APC. Both governors were received separately before proceeding to the president’s office.
Makinde was a key member of the group of five PDP governors, popularly known as the G5, who opposed the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 general election.
The G5 argued that the PDP had violated an informal zoning arrangement by presenting a northern candidate after former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure from the North. They maintained that power should rotate to the South to ensure fairness and national cohesion.
During the 2023 presidential election, Makinde and other G5 members openly opposed the PDP candidate and supported Tinubu, who eventually won. Other members of the G5 included former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
Elijah Adeyemi
