Makinde Rejects Wike’s Plan to Back Tinubu in 2027

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde declared he will not support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, despite Nyesom Wike’s willingness to do so. Makinde made the statement during a media chat in Ibadan on Tuesday. He revealed a recent meeting with Tinubu, Wike, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and others where Wike volunteered to “hold the PDP” for Tinubu ahead of the next polls.

Makinde expressed shock at Wike’s offer, noting that Tinubu did not request it. He told the President he could not help organise the APC in Oyo State as a PDP member. After failed attempts to engage Wike through a mutual friend, Makinde confronted him directly. From that moment, he resolved never to join such efforts.

The governor stressed that Wike has the right to support Tinubu, but others must be free to choose differently. “Wike can support the president in 2027, but I will not,” Makinde said. He emphasised preserving multiparty democracy and the PDP’s survival to avoid a one-party state. “Some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria, and that PDP survives as well,” he added.

In the same media session, Makinde reflected on his early success in business. At age 29, he secured his first major contract with Mobil, earning $1 million. He pointed out that Wike had probably just left law school at the time. This claim highlighted their different paths before entering politics.

Makinde and Wike, once close allies in the PDP’s G-5 group, had jointly backed Tinubu in the 2023 election against PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar. Their current rift stems from divergent views on the PDP’s future and alignments for 2027. Makinde urged respect for individual political choices amid growing tensions within the party.