The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has firmly ruled out defecting to the All Progressives Congress, declaring that he remains comfortable in the Peoples Democratic Party despite the recent wave of defections by his colleagues.
Makinde made this clear on Thursday, January 22, after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
The PDP governor arrived at the Presidential Villa around 3:30 p.m. for what he described as a discussion on governance issues affecting the country.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Makinde was asked directly whether he was considering joining the APC, given that several PDP governors have recently switched to the ruling party.
“No, no, no. I’m comfortable in the PDP and again we may have issues in this country where you need bipartisan approach where it won’t be an issue of maybe APC talking alone or PDP talking alone where we will have to look at what is the best foot forward you know in the interest of our nation. So when you get to that junction, you need everybody on board,” he replied.
The governor’s declaration comes amid a significant exodus of prominent PDP members to the APC, including governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Agbu Kefas of Taraba, and Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Despite this trend, Makinde emphasised that his visit to the president was about governance, not partisan politics.
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“Well, the president is the president of Nigeria, not the president of APC and we’re talking about governance here. So I came to discuss with the president on some governance issues, basically,” he said.
When asked if his visit signalled a warming relationship with the APC, the governor dismissed any political interpretation of the meeting.
“No, no, there’s nothing that I’ve said in the past that says we’re not enjoying a harmonious relationship. You know, politics is politics. We belong to different political parties but Nigeria is a project that you know all Nigerians must be concerned about,” he said.
Makinde stressed that certain national challenges, including insecurity, poverty alleviation, and citizens’ welfare, require leaders from different parties to work together regardless of political affiliation.
“You know welfare of our people, what are the governance issues, this issue of insecurity, poverty alleviation. I mean they are things that has no colouration of a party.
“As leaders you know, whether president or governor of a state, those are things that we have to work together, consult with one another and ensure that we can make life one shade better for our people,” he said.
The governor’s meeting with President Tinubu comes as political stakeholders begin strategic consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections, with ongoing political realignments reshaping the country’s party landscape.
By declaring his loyalty to the PDP, Makinde has positioned himself as one of the remaining pillars of the opposition party, even as it faces mounting defections to the ruling APC.