The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has addressed his ongoing faceoff with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, suggesting that the former Rivers State governor’s approach threatens Nigeria’s multi-party democratic framework.
Makinde, speaking on the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following Tuesday’s clashes at the party’s Abuja national secretariat, said the dispute goes beyond party politics, framing it as a fight for the future of Nigerian democracy.
“This is not about PDP alone; it is about the future of democracy in Nigeria,” Makinde said. “We should know that it gets worse before it gets better. And if we have to stay here for the next two weeks so that democracy will survive, you will see us here.”
Asked about the root of the disagreement with Wike, a former ally and fellow member of the G5 ahead of the 2023 general elections, Makinde clarified that the issue is principled rather than personal.
“Well, small minds talk about people. Average minds talk about events. We will rather talk about issues. What’s the issue? The issue is we don’t believe in a one-party Nigeria. We believe that our Founding Fathers gave us a multi-party democracy,” he explained.
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Makinde emphasised that sustaining a multi-party system ensures Nigerians have meaningful choices when selecting leaders. “We must sustain it so that Nigerians can have options when they are choosing their leaders. That is the issue. I don’t want to talk about individuals, and I don’t want to talk about events,” he added.
The governor also offered a message of optimism to PDP members and Nigerians, urging them to maintain hope amid the ongoing party crisis.
“This is a message of hope, real hope, that I want to give to our members all across the nation and Nigerians,” Makinde said, underlining the importance of upholding democratic values over factional disputes.
