The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed as false and misleading claims by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, that he promised President Bola Tinubu to “hold down” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general election.
Wike, speaking during his end-of-year media chat on Monday, described Makinde’s allegation as a “blatant lie”, insisting that no such commitment was ever made to the President at any meeting.
The long-running political rift between the two PDP heavyweights, both key members of the defunct G5 governors’ bloc, has deepened following Makinde’s recent public account of a closed-door meeting involving Tinubu and some PDP leaders.
Makinde had alleged that Wike shocked attendees at the meeting by telling Tinubu that he would ensure PDP support for the President’s second-term ambition in 2027 — a claim Wike flatly denied.
“That is a blatant lie. There was no such meeting where I said anything like that,” Wike said.
‘No such pledge, no such meeting’
Wike questioned the credibility of Makinde’s account, asking why the Oyo governor failed to immediately brief the PDP leadership if such a sensitive declaration had indeed been made.
“What was the purpose of that meeting that would have led me to say, ‘Mr President, I will hold PDP for you?’ Why didn’t Makinde come out then to alert the party?” he asked.
Clarifying the event, Wike said the visit to the President was jointly undertaken by himself, Makinde, and former governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), stressing that no discussion bordering on hijacking the PDP took place.
He accused Makinde of misrepresenting the facts out of frustration and political misunderstanding.
“If you watch that media chat carefully, you will see frustration written all over it,” Wike added.
Ministerial snub at heart of rift .
The former Rivers State governor further alleged that the real source of Makinde’s anger was his failure to secure a ministerial slot for his nominee in Tinubu’s cabinet.
“What we are dealing with today is that he was not given any ministerial slot. The anger was obvious,” Wike said.
He revealed that efforts were made by leaders of the G5 to pacify Makinde and explain the political realities surrounding the appointments, including direct engagements with the President.
However, Wike noted that reconciliation proved difficult as Makinde had “already made up his mind”.
The public exchange has further exposed widening cracks within the PDP, especially among influential governors who broke ranks with the party during the 2023 presidential election by refusing to support Atiku Abubakar.
Wike also took a swipe at Makinde’s political approach, suggesting that the Oyo governor lacked a firm grasp of party dynamics.
“Politics is not like being a contractor with Shell. It has different rules,” he said.
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