PDP Not Dead – Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has reaffirmed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains a strong political force, dismissing speculations that the party is fading into irrelevance.

Makinde stated this on Thursday while addressing journalists after the PDP Southwest zoning consultative summit held in Lagos.

He maintained that despite internal disagreements, the PDP still commands significant political strength and has the capacity to reclaim power with renewed focus and hard work.

“Personally, when people go low or go into the gutters, I don’t go with them. Some people are now going into the gutters. We will reach out to them,” Makinde said.

The governor added that disagreements within the party should not be personalised, stressing that democracy thrives on differences of opinion.

Citing recent electoral outcomes, he noted that the PDP performed commendably across several states, emerging as the runner-up in most of the 12 states where elections were conducted last Saturday.

“In all our states, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead. In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second. It is an indication to us that if we continue to work hard, we can reclaim the confidence of Nigerians,” he said.

Makinde, however, emphasised the need to consolidate unity within the party before focusing on future presidential ambitions.

“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, anything you are trying to do will fall flat. Our efforts right now are directed towards having a vibrant and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and believe in again,” he added.