GOVERNOR Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has hinted that he would only support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, if the party is ready to restructure its present leadership structure.
The governor stated this yesterday while speaking during a live interview session on Fresh FM 105.9’s flagship programme, Political Circuit.
Answering a question on the crisis rocking the PDP at the national level, which has pitched him and four other PDP governors against the party leadership, he said if the party’s leadership failed to listen to their demands, he would focus his campaign in Oyo state on his re-election.
He stated that the crisis was as a result of the PDP leadership not being ready to respect the agreed decision of the Southern Governors Forum that the 2023 presidency be zoned to the South, but against this, the party’s presidential candidate emerged from the North.
The governor added that with the party’s presidential candidate coming from the North, the sitting chairman of the party ought not to be from the same North if the party is truly committed to the principle of fairness among Nigerians.
“All we are clamouring for is inclusiveness and unifying Nigerians. It is not about Seyi Makinde, not about Wike, but why should our presidential candidate come from the North and the party chairman from the same North? If we are talking of restructuring the country, let us demonstrate that we can unify Nigeria,” he said.
Gov Makinde added, “If they are not ready to listen to us, I will have to focus my campaign solely on my election in Oyo state. Those advising him not to listen to us are not helping him. We will record 100% in Oyo state.”
He stated that PDP as a party must demonstrate that it can ensure fairness and justice within its system before seeking to implement same in the nation.
