The simmering crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a sharp personal turn, with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, publicly describing Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, as a 'frustrated' politician.
Wike Denies Secret Pact with President Tinubu
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, forcefully dismissed allegations that he held a private meeting with President Bola Tinubu and promised to undermine the opposition PDP on his behalf. He questioned the motive and timing of the claim, which he attributed to Governor Makinde.
"First of all, you ask yourself, what was that meeting? What was the purpose of that meeting? That would have led me to say, Mr President, I will hold PDP down for you," Wike stated, challenging the narrative.
He pointed out that if Makinde had genuine evidence of such a plot, he should have raised it within the party structures much earlier. "Why did Seyi Makinde not come up all this while to tell the party, see what Wike is doing? I was in a meeting. I saw what Wike said. It's not correct," he added.
The 'G5' Post-Election Visit: Setting the Record Straight
To clarify the events, Wike explained that the visit to the President occurred after the 2023 general elections and was not a clandestine affair. He stated that the delegation included several prominent PDP figures known as the 'G5 Governors' or Integrity Group.
"There was no such meeting. Rather, my humble self, the former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, the former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, the former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Seyi Makinde, went to see the president," Wike recounted.
He described the encounter as an informal post-election discussion. Wike further detailed that he personally invited the President's Chief of Staff to join them to help reiterate points of discussion, dismissing any notion of a pre-booked political deal.
"I was the one who said, look, Chief of Staff, come and sit down, so we can remind the president of what we have discussed. There was nothing like a meeting we booked to go and see Mr President," he insisted, calling the allegation of a pledge to weaken the PDP "completely out of place."
A Clash of Ambition and Political 'Frustration'
Wike characterized Makinde's actions as driven by frustration, offering a blunt personal assessment of the Oyo governor's political demeanor. "I have told everybody, frustration — if you can see it, if you watch Seyi Makinde, you can see frustration. And this young man, we have advised severely," Wike said.
He also took a swipe at Makinde's political approach, suggesting a need to understand the established norms of the game. "Politics is not like being a contractor with Shell. Politics is not like being a contractor. It has different rules," Wike cautioned.
While acknowledging that political ambition is natural, Wike stressed it must be pursued within the framework of party rules and tradition. "When did Seyi Makinde come into politics? There is nothing wrong with having ambition, but the ambition must be pursued according to the rules," he concluded, highlighting the deepening rift within the party's ranks.
