Lagos: Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has emphasised the urgent need for unity within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before any discussions on selecting a presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
Makinde spoke to reporters after a closed-door PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit held on Thursday in Ikeja, Lagos.
The meeting was convened to deliberate on zoning arrangements ahead of the party’s forthcoming national convention.
Answering questions on whether the meeting deliberated on the choice of the party’s presidential candidate for 2027, Makinde said: “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, any effort you make will fall flat.
“So, our efforts right now are directed towards having a virile and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of, and again will believe in.”
Justifying the need for adequate consultations with all PDP stakeholders, Makinde said that the party must close ranks and present itself as a credible alternative.
He said that the party stakeholders at the meeting had taken far-reaching decisions ahead of the November National Convention of the party.
Makinde said, “We just finished the consultative meeting of the PDP Zoning Committee for the south, and nothing should stop us from consulting.
“Democracy is about the minority having its say and the majority having its way. That is democracy.
“So, we are democrats, the south has taken far-reaching decisions, and in the days ahead, leading up to the convention.
“Our next wider consultations will also take place, and we are sure that those who have been saying that ‘PDP is dead’, ‘PDP is now’ a carcass, will now see that the party is much alive.”
According to him, the calibre of people who attended the meeting has proved those who claim PDP is dead wrong.
“They are all here and committed to PDP taking back its rightful position in Nigeria. So in the days ahead, some of the things discussed here, you’ll see them,” he said.
Highlighting the prominence of the stakeholders at the summit, Makinde said that the meeting had Gov. Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Gov. Peter Mba of Enugu, represented by his deputy, Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun, who had earlier left to address an issue in Osogbo.
“Gov. Adeleke is here. He returned to this country this morning, I believe, and then went straight to Osogbo to address some governance issues. However, he emphasised that whatever decision we make here is our responsibility.
“Gov. Diri is here, Gov. Peter Mba, who couldn’t make it physically, but sent the deputy governor.
“We have the Chairman of our Board of Trustees here. We also have at least 12 of the 17 members of the zoning committee from the south. It is one per state. So, we have 12 states here.
“We have Rep. members and senators from each zone in the south, the three zones. We have BOT members from the three zones in the south. The organisers have scored about 100 per cent.
“Consultation means you keep reaching out, you keep engaging. Following this meeting, we will reach out, engage, and take further action.
“We are trying to get all stakeholders, all tendencies in the PDP together so that we can give a credible alternative to Nigerians in the years ahead,” he said.
He said, though the consultative meeting was not something statutory in the PDP constitution, “democracy requires inclusivity, reaching out and ensuring that all stakeholders are carried along.”
Makinde said that the party would continue to reach out to all interests ahead of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party.
He said that PDP has good plans for Nigerians, appealing to the people to continue to support the party.
Makinde said the victory of the party in Saturday’s by-election in Oyo state showed that the party was not dead.
“In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second in each of those. It is an indication to us that if we continue to work hard, strive hard, and bring our people together, we will eventually reach a point where Nigerians will genuinely listen to us.
The meeting, called under the auspices of the PDP Zoning Committee, chaired by Diri, was also attended by former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, and BOT Chairman, Sen. Adolphus Wabara.
Also in attendance are former Govs. Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa-Ibom), Sen. Ben Obi, a former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Mrs Jumoke Akinjide, among other stakeholders.
Loyalists of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, were conspicuously absent at the meeting.
Recall that party leaders in the camp of Wike had earlier in the day dismissed the Lagos meeting as “illegal” and “exclusionary.”