Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has sought to reassure members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that its ongoing difficulties, including a dwindling number of state governors, will not last. Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at an expanded session of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Makinde acknowledged the turbulence facing the PDP but urged calm, framing the current moment as a test of character for those who remain loyal.
His comments followed the announcement by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal that he was leaving the PDP, a move that reduced the party’s governorship strength to just two — Makinde himself and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.
Rather than express alarm, Makinde described the situation as historically unprecedented but ultimately surmountable. He noted that seasoned political figures he had consulted had never seen the Nigerian political landscape in such a state, yet he maintained that those who stay the course would be vindicated. In his view, PDP members who hold firm during this period will eventually be recognized as having stood on the right side of history.
He urged members to remain mindful of the legacy they are building, emphasizing that their choices now — whether as individuals or collectively as a party — will be judged by future accounts of Nigerian democracy.
Also at the meeting, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara called on the party to take concrete steps toward resolving its internal problems, pointing to a recent Appeal Court ruling as a potential opening for the PDP to restructure and regroup. vanguard for more
