- Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, urging opposition parties to unite against what he described as growing threats to Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
- Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, rejected claims of a PDP-APM alliance and declared Makinde’s presidential ambition “dead on arrival.”
- The development has further exposed widening cracks within the Peoples Democratic Party as competing factions intensify political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Main story
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, setting off fresh political tensions within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and drawing immediate criticism from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Makinde made the declaration during a mega rally jointly organised by the PDP and the Allied Peoples Movement in Ibadan, where both parties formalised a political alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governor warned that Nigeria’s democracy was under threat, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress of attempting to weaken opposition parties and create a one-party state.
According to him, the worsening economic and security situation in the country had made it necessary for opposition parties and ordinary Nigerians to unite around a credible political alternative.
Makinde described the emerging coalition as a people-driven movement focused on restoring hope, rebuilding democratic institutions, and prioritising citizens’ welfare over partisan interests.
“Democracy cannot thrive under a one-party system,” he declared, while urging Nigerians, especially young people, to become more actively involved in the democratic process.
The rally, held at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, attracted thousands of party supporters, political appointees, and PDP stakeholders from across the South-West.
Earlier, Oyo State PDP Chairman, Dayo Ogungbenro, described the gathering as the beginning of a new political direction, while APM National Secretary, Oladele Oyadeyi, said the two parties had worked together informally before deciding to formalise the relationship.
Also speaking, APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantelle, commended Makinde’s leadership style and governance record in Oyo State.
The issues
The declaration has intensified internal divisions within the PDP, with rival factions openly disputing the legitimacy of the alliance between the PDP and the APM.
While Makinde’s camp insists the coalition represents a strategic opposition realignment ahead of 2027, the Wike-backed faction of the PDP has dismissed the alliance as unofficial and politically misleading.
The crisis deepened as the PDP leadership announced that it had petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police over alleged impersonation linked to the formation of a purported interim National Working Committee.
The party accused former Board of Trustees Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, and others of participating in an unauthorised gathering where an interim party leadership structure was allegedly announced.
National Secretary of the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, insisted that the current National Working Committee remained the only recognised leadership structure of the party.
The party also rejected claims that it had entered into any official alliance with the APM, describing the Ibadan gathering as a political move orchestrated by Makinde and his loyalists.
What’s being said
Reacting to Makinde’s declaration, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, dismissed the governor’s ambition, insisting it would not succeed within the PDP.
“What you have is Seyi Makinde joining APM to actualise his presidential ambition, which is already dead on arrival,” Wike said while addressing journalists after inspecting projects in Abuja.
He further maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission was aware that no formal alliance existed between the PDP and the APM.
“We know that has been his game plan and we would say he cannot fly the flag of PDP,” Wike added.
Meanwhile, the apex Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, defended Makinde’s right to seek the presidency.
Afenifere Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu, said democracy allows individuals to pursue political ambitions freely and dismissed fears that Makinde’s candidacy could divide Yoruba support ahead of the 2027 election.
However, former PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi, described the declaration as premature and politically unrealistic.
Elsewhere, former Jigawa State Governor and PDP founding member, Sule Lamido, expressed concern over what he described as growing ideological confusion in Nigeria’s political space.
In a strongly worded statement, Lamido lamented the collapse of clear political identities, arguing that politicians who rose through the PDP now dominate nearly every major political bloc in the country.
He warned that Nigeria’s democratic system risked losing direction amid shifting alliances and personal political ambitions.
At the same time, the Congress of Northern Democrats accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of weakening opposition politics through what it described as “perpetual presidential ambition.”
The group argued that opposition leaders should focus more on national challenges such as insecurity, unemployment and inflation rather than endless political calculations.
What’s next
Political realignments within the opposition are expected to intensify in the coming months as parties position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Wike-backed PDP faction has already commenced screening exercises for presidential, governorship and National Assembly aspirants, signalling preparations for internal power contests.
Meanwhile, the PDP-APM coalition in the South-West is expected to expand, with party leaders hinting that additional political groups may join the alliance before the next general election cycle.
Observers believe the battle over control of the PDP, coalition politics, and opposition unity could shape the direction of Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of 2027.
Bottom line
Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential declaration has deepened existing cracks within the PDP and reignited debates over opposition unity, coalition politics and leadership succession ahead of 2027.
While supporters see the emerging alliance as a necessary counterweight to the ruling APC, critics within the PDP view it as a personal political project lacking institutional backing.
With rival factions now openly challenging one another, the struggle for the soul of the opposition appears set to dominate Nigeria’s political conversation in the months ahead.
