LAGOS — Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not reduce itself to the “gutter level” of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, even as he assured that the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) will make far-reaching decisions on zoning and other critical issues during its meeting on Monday.
Makinde made the remarks in Lagos on Thursday at the Southern stakeholders’ consultative meeting of the PDP zoning committee.
When asked about the possibility of micro-zoning, he stressed that the ultimate decision rests with the NEC.
“A decision is coming, and it is an NEC decision. This consultative meeting is not something that is statutory in the PDP constitution. But democracy is inclusivity, reaching out and ensuring that all stakeholders are carried along — which is what we’ve done today,” he explained.
On whether the South is pushing for the presidency in 2027, Makinde said the priority for now is to rebuild and unify the party.
“We haven’t even gotten there. We need to have a party first before you start talking about presidential candidates. If we don’t have a party, anything you’re trying to do will fall flat. Our efforts right now are directed towards having a united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and will believe in again,” he said.
The governor dismissed insinuations that the PDP is in decline, pointing to the calibre of party stakeholders present at the meeting, which included sitting governors, former governors, National Assembly members, members of the Board of Trustees, and other party elders.
“Those saying PDP is dead will be disappointed. The calibre of leaders you see here shows commitment to taking PDP back to its rightful position in Nigeria,” he added.
Responding to Wike’s recent statement defending South-South zonal chairman Dan Orbih, Makinde stated: “Personally, when people go low, or they go into the gutters, I don’t go with them.”
He also assured that reconciliation efforts were ongoing with aggrieved members, emphasizing that internal disagreements should never be personalized.
“We will reach out to everyone. That is democracy. I can disagree with people, but it shouldn’t be personal. It should be about what we are giving to Nigerians because they are watching,” Makinde said.
Notable PDP leaders at the meeting included former Akwa Ibom governor Udom Emmanuel, PDP BoT chairman Adolphus Wabara, party chieftain Bode George, and Senator Ben Obi.
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