Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has disclosed that he turned down a request from President Bola Tinubu to assist in organising the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, insisting that such a move would conflict with his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Makinde made the revelation during a media chat in Ibadan on Tuesday, December 23, while recounting interactions with the president following the formation of the federal cabinet and discussions surrounding the nomination of a minister from Oyo State.
According to the governor, President Tinubu personally approached him with the request, expressing confidence in his ability to stabilise the ruling party in the state.
“He said, ‘Seyi, it’s you that I want to help me organise APC in Oyo State,’” Makinde recalled.
The governor said he declined immediately, stressing that he could not work against the interests of his party.
“I told him, ‘No sir, I cannot help you organise APC in Oyo State because I am of the PDP,’” he said.
Makinde also revealed that he was present at a meeting attended by President Tinubu, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other top officials, where Wike openly pledged to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
“I was in that meeting. The president’s chief of staff was there, and Wike told the president, ‘Well sir, I will hold PDP for you against 2027,’” Makinde said.
He described the statement as shocking, adding that he later confronted Wike privately over the remark.
“I was surprised. When we stepped outside, I asked him, ‘Wike, did we agree to this?’” he added.
Makinde emphasised that while Wike is entitled to his political choices, he would not be part of any arrangement that weakens the opposition or threatens Nigeria’s democratic system.
“The issue is not about supporting the president. That is his right,” Makinde said. “But some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria, that we do not slide into a one-party state, and that the PDP remains strong.”