Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has stated unequivocally that he will not support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections, contrasting his stance with that of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who reportedly volunteered to “hold the PDP” for the president without prior consultation.
Makinde made the declaration on Tuesday at the Government House in Ibadan during a media briefing, where he recounted the events that shaped his political divergence from Wike and clarified his position ahead of the next general elections.
“I have my own choice as well, and I will never support the president for 2027,” Makinde said.
Reflecting on his early career, the governor brought out a contract document, noting, “This is the first contract that Mobil awarded to Makun. Within that one year, I made $1 million. I was 29 years old in 1997, and perhaps at that time, he (Wike) had just left law school.”
Makinde emphasized that his dispute with Wike is political, not personal. “I don’t beef anybody,” he said.
The rift, according to Makinde, became clear during a meeting attended by President Tinubu, Wike, the president’s Chief of Staff, and other officials, when Wike declared he would support Tinubu by holding the PDP for him.
“The real issue was that I was in a meeting with the president and Wike and the president’s chief of staff, and a few others were there. Wike told the president that he will hold PDP for him in 2027. I was in shock,” Makinde said.
He added, “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 explained that he initially decided to monitor Wike’s actions to see if he would reconsider, but Wike did not back down. “I told a mutual friend, let’s just watch him and see if he backs off, but he did not back off,” the governor noted.
