Wike Blames Makinde's 2027 Presidential Ambition for Deepening PDP Crisis

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has directly attributed the ongoing turmoil in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde's alleged presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In his end-of-year media chat held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, Wike accused Makinde of destabilising the party's national leadership through refusal of compromises and escalation of disputes to the courts. "Now he said he wants to be president," Wike declared. "It is Seyi Makinde’s ambition that brought PDP into this crisis."

The former Rivers State governor further alleged that Makinde rejected agreements on key positions, such as the National Secretary role assigned to Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and pursued unsuccessful litigation up to the Supreme Court. Wike claimed multiple reconciliation efforts involving senior party figures failed due to Makinde's intransigence, which he said exacerbated factional divisions and court battles.

This sharp rebuttal follows Governor Makinde's media chat in Ibadan on December 23, where he traced the rift to an alleged private meeting with President Bola Tinubu and Wike. Makinde claimed Wike unsolicitedly pledged to "hold the PDP" for Tinubu's 2027 re-election, a statement that shocked him and prompted his refusal to support the president. "I was in shock," Makinde said. "Wike can support the president for 2027 – that is fine; it is within his right to do that. But some of us want to ensure that democracy survives and we don’t drift into a one-party state."

Makinde emphasised his commitment to preserving the PDP's independence and multiparty democracy while acknowledging Wike's right to his choices. He also addressed speculation about his own ambitions, stating he is "qualified" for higher office based on his two-term governorship and private-sector success.

Wike dismissed Makinde's account of the meeting as a "blatant lie", clarifying that the only post-2023 encounter with Tinubu was a courtesy visit by G5 governors, including Makinde, without political negotiations. He challenged Makinde's narrative and linked the party's woes to personal ambitions overriding collective interests.