Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has dismissed concerns about a potential coalition threatening the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West.
Makinde said this on Friday, while speaking with newsmen shortly after a meeting of the South-West PDP Caucus, held at the South-West PDP Secretariat.
He said: “We want the whole world to know that the PDP in the South-West is united and we are together and that the coalition is not a threat to the PDP.
“Who are these people in this coalition? They were in some parties before, whether the PDP or the APC. What are their antecedents?
“Does it mean that anytime they move from one party to the other, they have repented, or do they have something new to offer the people? These are salient questions” he added.
Makinde further likened the party to a building that needed repairs, saying, “This Soji Adagunodo House is for the PDP South-West. If the roof is leaking, as leaders of PDP in the South-West, are we going to abandon the building and go somewhere else to take refuge?
”No. We will stay inside here and fix it to let the people know that we are responsible leaders and that we have the interest of the people at heart. ”
“So, a lot of people can say whatever they like, but in a party like the PDP, which is an institution, we have our own ways and means of dealing with such issues. When we get to the point where we have to deal with such issues, I give you the assurance that we will, ” he added.
The governor also said that the PDP in the South-West was united and undivided, with leaders resolved to stay in the party and fix its issues.
The South-West PDP Caucus, comprising governors, former governors, and other key leaders, issued a communiqué after their meeting.
They distanced themselves from the coalition. The leaders reaffirmed their loyalty to the PDP and commitment to the party’s unity, stability, progress, and success.
The Caucus threw its weight behind the NWC, stating that the party would be open to working with other like-minded citizens to rescue Nigeria from the APC.
The Caucus appreciated Gôvernor Makinde and his Osun Counterpart, Governor Adeleke for their people-oriented leadership and efforts in ensuring peace, stability, security, and infrastructural development in the South-West Zone.
They called on the Federal Government to immediately release the withheld funds, describing it as unconstitutional and a violation of the rights and well-being of the people of Osun State.
The Caucus echoed Governor Makinde’s declaration that the 2027 election would be between Nigerians and the APC, with Nigerians ultimately triumphing under the banner of the PDP.
They called on Nigerians not to lose hope but to rally with the PDP as the party leads the charge to rescue the nation from the misrule of the APC.
