The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a fresh turn on Tuesday following a strongly worded social media post by Lere Olayinka, a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in which he questioned the political loyalty of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
In a Facebook post that has since generated widespread reactions, Olayinka traced what he described as Makinde’s history of political movements, alleging that the Oyo governor has consistently shifted positions based on personal political ambition rather than party ideology.
According to Olayinka, Makinde left the PDP for the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2007 after failing to secure a senatorial ticket, and again defected from the PDP in 2015 to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) following his inability to clinch the party’s governorship ticket. He further claimed that Makinde would have exited the PDP ahead of the 2019 elections if he had not eventually secured the party’s governorship nomination.
The post also accused Makinde of aligning with the PDP G5 governors during the build-up to the 2023 general elections solely to ensure his re-election, rather than out of loyalty to the party’s presidential candidate. Olayinka went further to allege that the Oyo governor worked against the emergence of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, in 2022 in a bid to remain the only PDP governor in the South-West at the time.
“He has never been loyal to anyone or any political party; he is only about himself,” Olayinka wrote, predicting that Makinde would leave the PDP after 2027. He also referenced several PDP leaders whom he claimed had fallen out with the Oyo governor over the years.
The post comes amid escalating tensions between Governor Makinde and Minister Wike, following Makinde’s recent public declaration that he would not support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, a stance that sharply contrasts with Wike’s open loyalty to the president.
While Governor Makinde has yet to formally respond to the claims made in the post, the development further underscores the deepening divisions within the PDP as key figures trade accusations ahead of the 2027 general elections. Political observers say the public exchanges reflect a broader struggle over the party’s direction, leadership, and future electoral strategy.
