Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde recently explained why the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) distanced themselves from the coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi. In an interview with Channels TV, Makinde clarified that the coalition had no formal approval from the PDP leadership and did not follow the party’s established procedures.
According to Politics Nigeria, Makinde emphasised that PDP governors could not support a coalition that bypassed the party’s structures. “We didn’t just wake up and say me as xyz in the party just draw the party into any arrangements when the party organs do not have clue on what you are doing,” he explained.
The comments came after Atiku and other political figures unveiled the coalition in Abuja on March 20, aiming to unite against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections. However, PDP governors quickly issued a communique distancing themselves from the initiative.
Makinde revealed that the decision was made after consultations with PDP governors and key party officials. “The acting National Chairman, National Legal Adviser and the National Organising Secretary were there with us,” he shared. The meeting, which took place in Ibadan, was attended by several top figures within the party.
Makinde stressed the need for unity within the PDP and emphasised that any major move, like a coalition or merger, must involve the party’s leadership. He said, “There must be a process. If the party managers, the organs of the party, are going into a merger or coalition, there’s need for the party managers to know.”
While acknowledging individual politicians’ right to form alliances, he warned that such actions should not be mistaken for official party positions. “Politics is a game of interest. You must be interested, you must have alignment with the wider organs of your party before you go out to meet other people,” he added.
Article updated 6 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
