Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state treated us to another entertaining moments through his emotional sermons at the meeting of the Board of Trustees, BOT of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP at Abuja on Tuesday.
The BOT of the PDP met, perhaps, to review the losses of several Appeals against some judgment of the High Court that went against the PDP.
The Court of Appeal had on Monday, 9th of March, 2026, dismissed all the Appeals filed by the faction of the PDP loyal to Governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed against the Nyesom Wike faction and imposed heavy fines against the Makinde and Bala faction of the PDP in favor of the Nyesom Wike faction.
During Tuesday’s BOT meeting, Governor Makinde, unusually humbled and somber, delivered a soul rendering speech where he described the current situation within the PDP as a difficult moment for both the party and Nigeria’s Democracy.
He went further to say and I want to quote him here for emphasis sake, that, ” it’s a challenging period for us, for democracy in Nigeria. I’ve been talking to people of knowledge, people who have been involved in the political evolution of this country and none of them are seeing a political landscape as opposed to what we’re witnessing today…”
“But we’re not bothered. I can say personally and on behalf of my chairman that when the story of this period is told, they will find us on the side of the people “.
I have carefully perused and analysed Governor Seyi Makinde’s speech during the PDP BOT meeting of yesterday and I discovered that Governor Makinde is breaking.
He is rattled, confused and weakened.
I discovered that he was incoherent in that speech.
For example, when he said, he has been talking to people of knowledge, people who have been involved in the political evolution of this country and none of them, according to him, ” are seeing a political landscape as opposed to what we’re witnessing today”, what exactly does that mean?
Isn’t that a contradiction of himself?
I guess he was quoted out of context.
I thought the right words should have been, ” none of them are seeing a political landscape compared with what we’re witnessing today “.
Well, I might be wrong but I think, in the context of Governor Makinde’s statement, that paragraph conveyed a message directly opposite to his thoughts.
That is why I said he was incoherent in his speech.
Like I said, I could be wrong.
Now, let us take Governor Makinde’s sermon on the face value.
I agree with him totally that the prevailing circumstances within the PDP is challenging but to extend the PDP’s problem as a problem facing Democracy is an exaggeration.
The last time I checked, there are multiple political party registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The PDP is just one of them.
So, how could a self inflicted crisis within one political party be equated to a challenge against Democracy?
I am also surprised that Governor Seyi Makinde is now talking to “people of knowledge” about the political landscape in Nigeria.
When did he begin to identify people of knowledge?
When did he begin to see the need to consult others before he took decisions?
I am curious as to the kind of people he consulted.
The kind of people who would not tell him the truth that the unfortunate events happening in the PDP were caused by greed and indiscipline and that Governor Makinde himself is culpable.
Yes, it is true. We have never seen where some people would remain within a political set up and work against the same set up for selfish reasons but is Governor Seyi Makinde not culpable in this regard?
It’s mere wishful thinking for Governor Makinde to think that when the story of this period is told, history would record him as a hero who fought on the side of the people.
When he joined the G-5 in 2023 and they were sabotaging the PDP publicly, was that done on behalf of the people, or a desperate action required for him to secure a second term in office?
When he and other members of the G-5 were chasing Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the opposition party all over the Globe in 2023, were they doing so on behalf of the people?
When he presented a Ministerial nominee to Tinubu, was he doing so on behalf of the people?
Assuming president Tinubu approved his slot of Ministerial nominee, would he be fighting him today?
Only an ignorant would exonerate Governor Makinde from the unfortunate situation the PDP has found itself today.
After he broke up with Nyesom Wike and the idea of a National Convention was muted, was he not advised by the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki on a better way forward and did he heed the advice?
I am so surprised that Governor Makinde thought that we have all forgotten how he personally led the PDP to the slaughter slab.
Governor Fintiri of Adamawa state was the Chairman of the nullified National Convention held at Ibadan.
He literally pulled out before the start of the exercise when he pointed out the encumbrances against the planned Convention.
He cited the Court Judgments against the holding of the Convention and the absence of INEC as reasons why he thought it wouldn’t be wise to forge ahead.
How did Governor Makinde and his faction of the PDP react to that warning and observations?
Did they not treat it with disdain and proceeded with the event, damning the consequences?
Now, the consequences are here and you want to sermonize that you’re fighting for the people, which people?
I don’t know why Governor Makinde thought that playing for cheap sympathy would avail him at this point.
If he loves the people, most especially, his followers, what is the big deal in accepting defeat and finding a solution that would give opportunity to your followers to pursue their political aspirations elsewhere?
If you can’t do that, is it too much a sacrifice for Governor Makinde to go and meet his former friends in the G-5 and seek for reconciliation?
Let us even forget Democracy now and the people at large.
What of those who have refused to see reason and have decided to be following him despite the confusing circumstances?
Shouldn’t Governor Makinde come down from the high horse and humble himself for once for their sakes?
There was an event in Jos during a Convention of the Action Group, AG of Awolowo.
Tensions were very high and Awolowo sent for his Deputy, Akintola twice but Akintola refused to honor Awolowo’s call.
On the third occasion, Awolowo recorded the event of that day in his book, Adventures in power, The Travails of Democracy, he said, he refused to stand on his rights and decided to go to Akintola in his lodge.
Not only that, he begged Akintola in the name of the AG, their friendship of many years and God.
What happened is that Akintola wanted to leave the venue of the Convention with his Delegates and Awolowo sensed that such moves would signal crisis for the AG.
He did everything humanly possible to avoid such unfortunate circumstances.
Awolowo did not succeed in convincing Akintola but history would remember him for doing the needful.
So, what has Governor Makinde sacrificed to save the PDP from ruins?
His ego?
Saraki has come up with another brilliant advice but is Governor Seyi Makinde looking at his direction?
What historians would record about this events is clear.
They will tell us about someone who was nowhere to be found when eminent personalities across Nigeria were forming the PDP ended up destroying the party because of greed, inordinate ambition and ego.
I hope Governor Makinde would enjoy reading about himself when the time comes.
When he was making that confused speech at Abuja yesterday, the Oyo state Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC was releasing what it called a reversed notice of Local Government election in Ibadan.
I will address that in my next piece.
I guess that was also been done for the people.
The people indeed!
Sola Abegunde.
