The South‑West Zone General Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ramon Owokoniran, said that party members in the zone are aggrieved because Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde campaigned for the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, during the February 25, 2023 election. Owokoniran noted that both party members and non‑members remain upset that Makinde supported the APC candidate at the expense of the PDP’s flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, and warned that the events of the presidential election should not be used to determine Makinde’s re‑election on March 18.
Speaking with our correspondent, Owokoniran explained that the governor gave the impression he was not opposed to Abubakar until the last minute. “The South‑West PDP is not happy with the development that Makinde campaigned for another presidential candidate at the detriment of our candidate,” he said. “All the while, the governor made us believe that he wasn’t against the candidate.” He added that the dissatisfaction extends beyond party members to non‑party supporters, many of whom feel the governor’s decision was unwarranted.
Owokoniran cautioned that what transpired in the last election will inevitably affect the upcoming governorship and state House of Assembly contests, but he believes it should not prevent the PDP from delivering results in the state. Makinde belongs to the PDP’s G‑5 governors—Samuel Ortom of Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, and Nyesom Wike of Rivers—who have advocated for the party’s presidential ticket to be zoned to the southern region. Makinde, however, claimed his support was driven by fairness, justice, and equity, noting that the people of Oyo chose to vote for a southern presidential candidate.
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