Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has clarified that he has no plans to leave the Peoples Democratic Party , even as several party members continue to defect.
Makinde made the statement following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
When asked whether he was considering joining the ruling All Progressives Congress, like some of his former PDP colleagues, Makinde affirmed his loyalty to his party.
“I am comfortable in the PDP,” he said.
The governor emphasized that tackling Nigeria’s challenges requires collaboration across party lines, with contributions from all political parties.
“We may have issues in this country where you need a bipartisan approach, where there won’t be an issue of APC talking alone or PDP talking alone; where we will have to look at what is the best foot forward in the interest of our nation. So, when you get to that junction, you need everybody on board,” he added.
Makinde arrived at the Aso Villa shortly after Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, who recently defected from the PDP to the APC. Both governors were received separately before proceeding to meet with the president.
The Oyo governor was formerly part of the group of five PDP governors, known as the G5, who opposed the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 general election.
The G5 argued that the PDP had disregarded an informal zoning arrangement by presenting a northern candidate after former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure in the North.
The group insisted that power should rotate to the South to ensure fairness and national unity.
During the 2023 presidential election, Makinde and the other G5 governors openly worked against the PDP candidate, supporting Tinubu, who ultimately won.
The G5 also included former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
