Amidst a turbulent season of political realignments and high-profile exits from the opposition, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has dismissed speculations regarding a potential move to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking with journalists on Thursday following a closed-door session with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Makinde sought to separate the duties of governance from the mechanics of partisan politics. Despite the shrinking footprint of his party across the federation, the governor remained resolute about his political home.
“No, I’m comfortable in the PDP,” Makinde stated firmly when questioned about his future.
The governor emphasized that his visit to the capital was centered on the national interest rather than party maneuvers. He argued that the office of the presidency transcends party affiliations.
“The President is the President of Nigeria, not the President of APC. And we’re talking about governance here,” Makinde remarked. He clarified the purpose of the meeting, adding, “So I came to discuss with the President on some governance issues, basically.”
Read also: Top 10 stories from across Nigerian Newspapers, Friday, January 23
Addressing the optics of a PDP governor meeting with an APC president during a period of intra-party friction, Makinde maintained that cooperation is a democratic necessity. “We may have issues in this country where you need bipartisan approach, where it won’t be an issue of maybe APC talking alone or PDP talking alone. When you get to that junction, you need everybody on board,” he explained.
Makinde’s pledge of loyalty comes as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) navigates its most precarious era since its inception. Since 2025, a “tsunami” of defections has seen the party’s control of states dwindle from 16 in 2015 to just four today: Adamawa, Bauchi, Oyo, and Zamfara.
The party’s presence in the Senate has similarly cratered, dropping from 36 members in 2023 to just 23 by the end of 2025.
The political backdrop is further complicated by Makinde’s fractured relationship with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. Makinde previously alleged that Wike promised President Tinubu he would “hold down the PDP” to facilitate the President’s 2027 ambitions without consulting party stakeholders.
“Wike can support him, and that is within his right. But it is equally my right to decide who I will support and what role I will play in 2027,” Makinde previously asserted, framing Wike’s actions as a threat to multi-party democracy. Wike has since fired back, labeling Makinde’s account “a blatant lie” and noting that Makinde remained silent for months after their joint meetings with the President.
While Makinde supported Tinubu in 2023 as part of the G5 group, he recently expressed regret over that decision. On December 23, 2025, he indicated he would not support Tinubu’s re-election bid, citing concerns over the survival of the opposition and the administration’s current policies.
The Governor also used the opportunity to address domestic criticisms, specifically allegations from former Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose regarding N50bn in federal relief funds for the 2024 Bodija explosion.
Makinde clarified that while N50bn was promised, only N30bn was released. He detailed that N4.5bn was spent on direct victim support, with the remaining N25.5bn allocated to infrastructure reconstruction and security.
Despite the political heat, Makinde insisted that his relationship with the federal government remains professional. “There’s nothing that I’ve said in the past that says we’re not enjoying a harmonious relationship. You know, politics is politics,” he said.
Closing his remarks, he urged a focus on the citizenry over the party logo: “We belong to different political parties. But Nigeria is a project that all Nigerians must be concerned about, the welfare of our people. Those are things that have no coloration of a party. As leaders, whether President or governor of a state, those are things that we have to work together, consult with one another, and ensure that we can make life one shade better for our people.”
The post ‘I’m comfortable in PDP’, Makinde says after State House meeting with Tinubu appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.
