Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that he will not support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections, revealing that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had volunteered to “hold the PDP” for the president without consultation.
Makinde made the statement on Tuesday at the Government House in Ibadan during a media chat, where he recounted the series of events that led to his political divergence with Wike and clarified his position ahead of the next general elections.
The governor was emphatic about his own political stance, stressing that he would not support Tinubu in the next presidential elections.
“I have my own choice as well, and I will never support the president for 2027,” Makinde said.
“Let me mention this issue of Wike,” Makinde said, bringing out a contract document as he reflected on his early career.
“This is the first contract that Mobil awarded to Makun. Within that one year, I made $1 million. I was 29 years old in 1997, and perhaps at that time, he (Wike) had just left the Law school.”
He noted that Wike’s next political role was as a local government chairman and emphasised that his comments were not personal.
“I don’t beef anybody,” Makinde said, stressing that their dispute is political, not personal.
The governor explained that the rift became evident during a meeting attended by President Tinubu, Wike, the president’s Chief of Staff, and other top officials.
It was during this meeting that Makinde said that Wike made a surprising declaration about the future of the PDP.
“The real issue was that I was in a meeting with the president and Wike and the president’s chief of staff, and a few others were there. Wike told the president that he will hold PDP for him in 2027,” Makinde said. “I was in shock.”
According to Makinde, Wike’s pledge was entirely voluntary, and the president had not solicited it. “When we got to the venue, I told Wike, ‘Did we agree on this?’ Wike would like to support the president for 2027, but that is his choice; the president did not even ask him. He was the one who volunteered to do that,” Makinde added.
Makinde said he initially decided to observe Wike’s actions to see if he would reconsider his pledge, but he did not back down.
“I told a mutual friend, let’s just watch him and see if he backs off, but he did not back off,” the governor noted.