Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has dismissed claims that the Peoples Democratic Party is in decline, declaring that the opposition party remains strong and will surprise its critics in the 2027 general elections.
Makinde spoke on Friday at the Southwest PDP stakeholders’ meeting held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, where party leaders and members from across the region converged to review the party’s position ahead of future elections.
The governor said repeated narratives suggesting that the PDP was finished were far from the truth, stressing that the party was alive, active and steadily rebuilding its strength at all levels.
“I can assure you that the PDP is well and alive. Whoever thinks otherwise will be surprised beyond their imagination,” Makinde told party leaders and supporters at the gathering.
The meeting attracted key PDP figures from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states. Among those present were Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin, members of the House of Representatives from Oyo State, former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, PDP National Secretary, Taofeek Arapaja, Southwest PDP Chairman, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, and former Ogun State governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu.
Two groups of defectors from the All Progressives Congress and the New Nigeria Peoples Party were also formally received into the PDP during the meeting, a development party leaders described as a sign of renewed confidence in the opposition.
Makinde said the turnout at the meeting, as well as the wave of defections, showed that those predicting the collapse of the PDP had misread the political mood in the country.
He urged party members to focus on strengthening the PDP from the grassroots, noting that unity at the ward and local government levels would be critical to the party’s success.
“My charge to you is to hold your communities, hold your wards and hold your local governments. If we do that, it will be well with us,” he said.
The governor also called on party faithful to remain loyal, adding that a strong and credible opposition was necessary for the growth of Nigeria’s democracy as the country moves toward the 2027 polls.
Speaking earlier, Adebutu said the PDP had once again proved its critics wrong, insisting that the party remained united and organised.
“Let us remain firm in the PDP. We now have structures from the ward level to the national level, so we have nothing to fear,” he said.
Makinde recently reaffirmed his commitment to the PDP amid speculations triggered by his visit to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja. He said the meeting with the President was strictly about governance issues and national interest, not party politics.
“The President is the President of Nigeria, not the President of APC. We discussed governance issues, basically,” he said, adding that his allegiance to the PDP remained unchanged.
According to him, maintaining a vibrant opposition was essential to holding government accountable and strengthening democratic institutions ahead of the next general elections.
