"WITHIN ONE YEAR, I MADE $1 MILLION IN MY POCKET, I WAS 29 IN 1997. WIKE PERHAPS AT THAT TIME HAD JUST LEFT LAW SCHOOL AND HIS NEXT JOB WAS AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMAN." - GOVERNOR SEYI MAKINDE


Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has recounted the origins of his disagreement with Nyesom Wike, tracing it to events dating back to the late 1990s and, more critically, to a recent political meeting involving the President. Makinde recalled that the first major contract Mobil awarded to his company, Makon, came when he was 29, and within a year he earned $1 million in 1997. At the time, Wike was just out of law school and later went on to become a local government chairman.

According to Makinde, the real issue between them is not personal animosity but a fundamental political disagreement. He said matters came to a head during a meeting attended by the President, Wike, and the President’s Chief of Staff. In that meeting, Wike reportedly told the President, “well sir I’ll hold PDP for you in this 2027.” Makinde said he was shocked by the statement, especially because the President did not ask for such a commitment.

Makinde explained that after the meeting, he confronted Wike privately, questioning whether there had been any agreement on such a position. He stressed that while he generally avoids speaking about individuals, he felt compelled to address what he described as the real issue at stake.

He noted that Wike has every right to support the President’s 2027 ambition, but insisted that others who care about Nigeria’s democracy must also be allowed to pursue alternative political paths. Makinde warned against the country drifting toward a one-party state and emphasized the need to ensure the survival of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The governor added that he confided in a mutual friend after the meeting, hoping Wike might reconsider his stance. However, when that did not happen, Makinde said he decided it was time to confront the matter directly. He concluded by stating that he made it clear from that day that he would not be part of such an arrangement, which is why he will not support the President’s 2027 bid, adding that just as Wike is free to make his choice, he too is entitled to his own.

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