Governor Seyi Makinde, has warned elements working to disrupt preparations for the Peoples Democratic Party’s forthcoming National Convention to desist.
Makinde, who spoke with journalists on Monday shortly after inaugurating the PDP National Convention Transportation Subcommittee in Abuja, described such efforts as political suicide.
“This meeting is just a demonstration of the fact that the National Convention of our great party—the train—has moved, and whoever is trying to stop a moving train is probably also trying to commit suicide. So my advice is this: no matter how highly placed, no matter what has transpired in the past, we don’t want to see anyone dead. So please, don’t commit suicide.”
Makinde stated that the party remains unbothered by the defections, emphasising that the final decision rests with the Nigerian people.
He said, “We have a party that has gone through a full cycle. We have been a government in power since democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999. We’ve faced the challenges of governing this country. We have people with experience who have occupied positions of leadership. We went to the bottom of it when we lost power in 2015, and we’ve been in opposition since then.
“Challenges will come and go, but for us as leaders, no matter the situation we find ourselves in, organising the party is not an end in itself. The end is for Nigerians to have democracy and a party they can relate with. If you say somebody is defecting or that our house is not in order, democracy is about conflict, conflict resolution, and resilience.
“In fact, we must be happy that we have a party that has refused to be distracted and has stayed focused on what the Nigerian people would like to see. Do we want a one-party state in Nigeria? From the last time I checked, the answer is no. Nigerians want a multi-party democracy. They want people to come up with ideas, and that is exactly what we’re doing in the PDP. So, we’re not distracted. We’re not concerned or bothered about the defections because the ultimate decider here will be the Nigerian people.”
When questioned about his reported 2027 presidential ambition, Makinde said his priority was ensuring a smooth National Convention, stressing that the PDP must endure for any personal ambition to be realised.
He said, “I have said several times that I am old enough to set an agenda for myself. For us, we must have a party before anyone can have an ambition.
“All the efforts right now—except you’re saying forget about having a party and focus on ambition—are about ensuring that Oyo State is able to host the best National Convention ever in the history of the PDP. That is exactly what we’re focused on.”
