A fresh war of words has erupted within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike openly attacked each other over the party’s internal crisis. What began as a veiled comment during a public event quickly escalated into a fierce exchange that exposed deep cracks within the party’s leadership.
Speaking at the commissioning of the new Oyo PDP Secretariat in Ibadan, Makinde declared that individuals he described as “vagabonds” no longer control the PDP, claiming they were expelled in November 2025. He blamed the party’s long-standing troubles on a leadership vacuum that followed the PDP’s loss of federal power in 2015, which he said allowed indiscipline to fester.
Makinde admitted he was once politically aligned with the group but said he had since distanced himself. In his words, he described his shift as a form of repentance, saying he was now “born again” politically and determined not to allow the same group to weaken the party ahead of 2027.
The governor stressed that the PDP must not be held down to benefit another political party, accusing unnamed figures of spreading falsehoods and manipulating narratives against the party. He expressed confidence that the judiciary would eventually resolve the legal disputes surrounding the PDP and restore stability.
Makinde also used the occasion to honour Alhaji Omokunmi Mustapha by naming the new secretariat “Mustapha House,” crediting him with leading the PDP back to power in Oyo State in 2019. He formally handed over the property’s title deeds to the PDP national leadership, reaffirming his commitment to the party’s unity beyond Oyo State.
However, Wike’s camp wasted no time in firing back. Lere Olayinka, spokesperson to the FCT Minister, mocked Makinde’s declaration, describing it as the “repentance of a vagabond.” He argued that Makinde’s statement was an admission of past political betrayal and questioned the sincerity of his new stance.
Olayinka went further, suggesting that Makinde’s political inconsistency could resurface at any time. He claimed the governor was acting out of fear due to shifting political realities and warned that his so-called repentance might be short-lived.
The exchange follows Wike’s earlier declaration that he has an interest in all PDP activities in Oyo State and his vow to protect the party from what he called internal “vampires.” As both camps dig in, the public confrontation highlights the deepening struggle for control and influence within the PDP ahead of future political battles.
