“I Will Never Support Tinubu in 2027” — Makinde Draws Battle Lines Over Democracy, PDP’s Survival
By Passman Akpos
Ibadan — Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that he will not support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general election, warning that Nigeria must guard against democratic erosion and the gradual slide toward a one-party state.
Makinde made his position known on Tuesday during a media chat at the Government House in Ibadan, where he spoke candidly about his political disagreement with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the implications for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to the governor, the rift began during a meeting involving President Tinubu, Wike, and other political actors, when Wike allegedly told the President that he would “hold PDP” for him ahead of the 2027 election — a move Makinde said was made without the consent or mandate of party stakeholders.
“I was in a meeting with the President and Wike and a few others, and Wike said to the President that I will hold PDP for you against 2027,” Makinde said. “So, we got up, and I asked Wike, did we agree to this?”
Makinde stressed that while Wike is free to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid, no individual has the authority to mortgage the PDP or speak on behalf of the party without broad consensus.
“The real issue is that Wike would like to support the President in 2027, that’s fine, it’s within his right to do that,” the governor said. “But also some of us that want democracy to survive in Nigeria, we don’t drift into a one-party state, and we want to ensure that PDP survives, he should also allow us to do our own thing.”
He further clarified that President Tinubu did not solicit such a commitment from Wike, describing the declaration as unsolicited and personal.“The President did not ask him; do this for me. He was the one who volunteered that I would do this,” Makinde stated.
The Oyo governor said efforts were made to persuade Wike to reconsider his stance, but when those attempts failed, he decided to completely distance himself from the move.
“After he didn’t back off, I told him from that day that I would never be part of this,” he said.Makinde concluded by reaffirming his political independence ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that his decision was guided by principle rather than personal loyalty.
“That is why I will never support the President for 2027. Wike can support him; it is within his right, but it is also within my right within the political space to determine who I will support or what I will do in 2027,” he said.
The remarks underscore growing internal tensions within the PDP and highlight the emerging battle lines ahead of the next general election.
