Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, said he would not be dragged into what he described as “gutter politics”, insisting that his priority was building unity within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor made the comments shortly after the South-West zoning consultative summit of the PDP held in Lagos. Addressing journalists, Makinde stressed that politics should remain focused on service to Nigerians rather than personal squabbles.
“Personally, when people go low or go into the gutters, I don’t go with them,” Makinde said. “I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here. It should be about what we are giving to Nigerians because they are watching.”
He added that despite internal challenges, the PDP had shown resilience in recent elections. According to him, the results demonstrated that the party remained a strong political force.
“In all our states, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead. In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second. It is an indication to us that if we continue to work hard, we can reclaim the confidence of Nigerians,” the governor said.
When asked about the possibility of zoning the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South, Makinde noted that discussions were still premature. He stressed that unity and rebuilding should take precedence.
“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 are trying to do will fall flat. Our efforts right now are directed towards having a vibrant and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and believe in again,” he said.
The Lagos meeting brought together key figures of the opposition, including PDP Board of Trustees chairman Adolphus Wabara, Bayelsa State governor Douye Diri, Osun State governor Ademola Adeleke, former Osun governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and party stalwart Bode George.
Also present were Enugu State deputy governor Ifeanyi Ossai, 12 of the 17 PDP National Assembly members, and several other leaders from across the southern states.
