Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has stated that he will not stoop to the level of individuals who choose to engage in mud-slinging or gutter politics.
Makinde made this clear on Thursday during a press briefing after attending the South-West Zoning Consultative Summit of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos. The Governor emphasized that while he may disagree with certain individuals, his approach would always be focused on substance, rather than personal attacks.
“Personally, when people go low or go into the gutters, I don’t go with them. Some people are now going into the gutters. We will reach out to them. That is democracy. I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here. It should be about what we are giving to Nigerians because they are watching,” Makinde remarked.
Makinde’s statement comes amid growing tension within the party, but he was quick to underline that the PDP is still a dominant force in Nigerian politics. Despite the challenges faced in recent elections, he was confident that the PDP remains resilient.
“In all our states, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead. In most of the 12 states, PDP came second. It is an indication to us that if we continue to work hard, we can reclaim the confidence of Nigerians,” he said.
When asked about discussions surrounding the PDP presidential ticket, especially regarding the possibility of zoning it to the South, Makinde explained that the party had not yet reached that stage. According to him, the focus should be on strengthening the party before considering presidential candidates.
“We haven’t even gotten there. We need to have a party first before you start talking about presidential candidates. If we don’t have a party, anything you are trying to do will fall flat,” Makinde said. “Our efforts right now are directed towards having a vibrant and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and believe in again.”
The event was attended by notable party figures, including the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the PDP National Zoning Committee and Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, as well as Governors Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Peter Mba (Enugu), and other key party stakeholders from across southern states.
