Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has asserted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains vibrant and ready to confound its critics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Makinde made the statement on Friday at the Southwest PDP Stakeholders’ Meeting held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, where he dismissed claims that the party is moribund, insisting that the PDP is “very much alive.”
The meeting brought together PDP leaders and elected officials from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states.
According to the governor, the large turnout of party members, alongside new defectors, was clear evidence that those predicting the party’s collapse were mistaken.
“I can assure you that the PDP is well and alive. Anyone who believes otherwise will be shocked beyond their imagination,” Makinde said.
He urged party leaders and members across the Southwest to stay united and focus on strengthening the PDP’s grassroots structures at the community, ward and local government levels.
“My appeal to you is to hold firmly to your communities, your wards and your local governments. If we do that, things will work out well for us,” he added.
Makinde also encouraged loyalty and commitment among party members, expressing confidence in the PDP’s future prospects.
The event was attended by several prominent figures, including Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin; PDP House of Representatives members from Oyo State; former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; PDP National Secretary, Taofeek Arapaja; Southwest PDP Chairman, Kamorudeen Ajisafe; and former Ogun State governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, among others.
During the meeting, two groups of defectors from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) were formally received into the PDP.
Speaking earlier, Adebutu said the PDP had once again proven its critics wrong, stressing that the party remains united and well-structured from the ward level to the national level.
“We should remain steadfast in the PDP. With our structures firmly in place, we have nothing to fear,” he said.
Makinde also recently reiterated his loyalty to the PDP amid ongoing defections to the ruling APC. Speaking to journalists after meeting President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, the governor said he remained comfortable in the opposition party.
“I’m comfortable in the PDP,” Makinde said, explaining that his visit to the President was strictly about governance issues affecting the country.
“The President is the President of Nigeria, not the President of APC. Our discussion was purely about governance,” he noted.
Addressing speculations that his meeting with the President and recent disagreements within the PDP signaled a possible defection, Makinde maintained that his party allegiance remains unchanged, even as he remains open to collaborating with the federal government in the national interest.