Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Tuesday offered a detailed explanation for his refusal to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, a position that has further exposed deepening political fault lines within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Makinde spoke during a media chat in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where he reflected on his personal journey, political philosophy, and the growing divergence between him and key figures within his party, particularly the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Recounting his early professional life, the governor said his career trajectory had been shaped long before his entry into partisan politics. According to him, at the age of 29, he secured his first major contract with oil giant Mobil, valued at about $1 million, a milestone he described as transformative.

Makinde noted that at the time he clinched the deal, Wike, now a central figure in the PDP’s internal crisis, had “probably just left law school.” He described the contract as a turning point that laid the foundation for his success in business and later informed his approach to leadership and governance.

The governor used the reflection to underline his independence, insisting that his political decisions were guided by conviction rather than patronage or pressure.

Addressing his rift with Wike, Makinde revealed that tensions became pronounced during a high-level meeting involving President Bola Tinubu, Wike, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other officials. According to Makinde, the meeting took an unexpected turn when Wike openly pledged to “hold the PDP” for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

Makinde said the statement left him stunned, particularly because, according to him, the President neither requested nor encouraged such an offer.

“The President did not ask him to do this; he volunteered. Wike is within his rights to support President Tinubu.

But those of us who want to ensure the survival of multiparty democracy and the PDP should also be allowed to make our own decisions,” Makinde said.

The Oyo governor stressed that while he respected Wike’s personal political choices, he could not be part of any arrangement that undermined the independence of the PDP or weakened democratic competition in the country.

He said he made his position clear to the FCT minister shortly after the meeting.

“I told him from that day that I would never be part of this. Wike can support Tinubu, and that is within his right, but it is equally my right to decide who I will support and what role I will play in 2027,” Makinde added.

Despite subsequent efforts to engage Wike and bridge the widening gap, Makinde said the situation remained unchanged, forcing him to take a firm and public stance.

The governor’s comments have once again drawn attention to the growing divisions within the PDP, with the party increasingly split into two major camps. One faction, led by Wike and his allies, is widely perceived as sympathetic to President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The other faction, spearheaded by Makinde, insists on party autonomy, internal cohesion, and the preservation of a viable multiparty democracy.