PDP governors Seyi Makinde and Nyesom Wike clash over Oyo State party control as court nullifies Ibadan convention ahead of 2027 elections
Tensions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated yesterday as Governor Seyi Makinde and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, clashed over control of the Oyo State party structure.
Also read: No More ‘Vagabonds’ in PDP, Says Makinde
The dispute resurfaced following the November 2025 PDP convention and ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike, a former ally of Makinde during the 2023 election cycle, declared his interest in the Oyo State political structure on Monday, following a meeting of the Rahaman Mohammed-led caretaker committee in Abuja.
The committee also announced March 29 as the date for the party’s national convention.
“Let me declare my interest clearly: I am interested in the survival and success of this party. I am also interested in all the happenings in Oyo State PDP,” Wike said.
In response, Makinde, speaking at the inauguration of the PDP secretariat in Ibadan on Tuesday, criticised Wike and reaffirmed his commitment to the party.
He accused previous factions of illegitimacy and suggested that their influence in PDP ended with the November 2025 convention.
Makinde added: “Let me confess: I came into government in 2019 and towards 2023, I was yoked with them. But now, I have repented; I am no longer with them.”
He also called on the judiciary to uphold justice in ongoing court cases concerning party leadership.
Wike’s camp fired back through his spokesman, Lere Olayinka, accusing Makinde of political inconsistency.
In a post on X, Olayinka said: “Even when a madman is cured of his madness, there will still remain some traces of madness…don’t be surprised tomorrow when he returns to being the same vagabond he claimed to have repented from.”
The feud follows a Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan that nullified the November 16 PDP convention, including the election of the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) and the expulsion of Wike and former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose.
The court instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise only a caretaker committee pending a new convention.
The Wike-backed caretaker committee, led by Rahaman Mohammed, subsequently dissolved the North-West, South-West and Plateau State working committees, announcing that new leadership structures would soon be unveiled.
Mohammed confirmed the party’s adjusted national convention dates, now set for 29–30 March, and said the timetable for state, zonal and ward congresses would proceed as approved by the NEC.
Also read: Wike, Makinde Clash Deepens PDP Rift Ahead of 2027
The developments highlight a deepening internal struggle within the PDP, particularly in Oyo State, as the party positions itself ahead of the 2027 general elections.
