Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains strong, vibrant and fully prepared to astonish its critics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Makinde made this assertion on Friday while speaking at the Southwest PDP Stakeholders’ Meeting held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, where he dismissed claims that the party was moribund, describing such narratives as false and misleading.
According to the governor, the PDP is “well and alive,” assuring party members that those who have written off the opposition party would be shocked in the coming elections.
The meeting drew prominent PDP leaders and political office holders from across the Southwest, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states. Among those in attendance were Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Debo Ogundoyin; PDP members of the House of Representatives from Oyo State; former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; PDP National Secretary, Senator Taofeek Arapaja; Southwest PDP Chairman, Kamorudeen Ajisafe; and former Ogun State governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, among others.
The stakeholders also formally received two groups of defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) into the PDP.
Addressing the gathering, Makinde said the impressive turnout of party members and the influx of defectors clearly disproved claims that the PDP was no longer relevant.
“I can assure you that the PDP is well and alive. Whoever thinks otherwise will be surprised beyond their imagination,” he said.
He charged party leaders and members across the Southwest to remain united and committed at the grassroots, stressing the need to strengthen party structures at community, ward and local government levels.
“My charge to you is simple: hold your communities, hold your wards, hold your local governments, and it will be well with us,” Makinde added, while urging members to remain loyal and steadfast as the party prepares for future contests.
In his remarks, Adebutu, while welcoming Makinde and other leaders, said the PDP had once again proven its detractors wrong, insisting that the party remained united and formidable.
“Let us remain firm in the PDP. We have solid structures from the ward level to the national level, so we have nothing to fear,” he said.
Makinde also recently reiterated his commitment to the PDP amid speculations triggered by high-profile defections to the ruling APC. Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, the governor dismissed suggestions of a possible defection.
“No, I’m comfortable in the PDP,” he said.
He explained that his visit to the President was purely about governance and national issues, not partisan politics.
“The President is the President of Nigeria, not the President of APC. We were discussing governance issues that concern the country,” Makinde stated.
Responding to questions about perceived tensions within the PDP and his engagement with the President, the governor maintained that his loyalty to the party remained firm, even as he expressed willingness to work with the Federal Government in the national interest.
Makinde noted that a strong and credible opposition was vital for the health of Nigeria’s democracy, especially as the nation moves toward the 2027 general elections.
