Wike Volunteered to Hold PDP for Tinubu in 2027, Makinde Reveals, Vows Never to Support the President

By Emmanuel Kwada

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has publicly distanced himself from Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, disclosing a stunning revelation from a private meeting with President Bola Tinubu that has deepened the rift within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a media chat at the Government House in Ibadan on Tuesday, Makinde recounted being “in shock” when Wike voluntarily assured President Tinubu that he would “hold the PDP” for him in the 2027 presidential race – effectively pledging to deliver the opposition party’s structures to support Tinubu’s re-election bid.

“The real issue was that I was in a meeting with the president, Wike, the president’s chief of staff, and a few others,” Makinde said. “Wike told the president that he will hold PDP for him in 2027. I was in shock.”

The governor emphasized that the pledge was unsolicited by Tinubu and made without prior consultation with him. “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, a key figure in the PDP and former ally of Wike in the defunct G5 group that opposed Atiku Abubakar in 2023, firmly declared his opposition to any such arrangement. “Wike can support the president in 2027, but I will not. I have my own choice as well, and I will never support the president for 2027.”

The disclosure highlights escalating tensions in the PDP, where factions aligned with Makinde and Wike have clashed over party control and future direction. Makinde’s comments come amid ongoing crises in the opposition party, including leadership disputes and accusations that Wike is weakening the PDP to favor Tinubu.

Political analysts see this as a potential turning point, with Makinde positioning himself as a defender of the PDP’s opposition role, while Wike’s open loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) president continues to fuel internal divisions.

As 2027 approaches, Makinde’s outright rejection of supporting Tinubu could rally anti-Wike forces within the PDP, potentially reshaping the party’s strategy against the incumbent president.