Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has warned those attempting to disrupt preparations for the Peoples Democratic Party’s forthcoming National Convention slated for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, describing such efforts as an attempt to stop a moving train—an act he likened to political suicide.
Makinde, who spoke with journalists on Monday shortly after inaugurating the PDP National Convention Transportation Subcommittee in Abuja, pledged that Oyo State would deliver the best convention in the party’s history.
Following months of internal turmoil within the PDP, several prominent politicians have aligned with the African Democratic Congress-led opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Those who have joined the coalition include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, and ex-presidential aspirant Dele Momodu.
At the same time, the ruling All Progressives Congress has attracted a number of PDP leaders, notably Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and the party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa.
With the PDP’s National Elective Convention set to hold in Ibadan on November 15–16, there are indications that Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri might also defect to the APC before the event.
Meanwhile, allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have expressed dissatisfaction with the Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee, citing grievances over the South-South zonal structure, party leadership in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Plateau States, as well as the convention’s micro-zoning arrangement.
The group has warned that the convention may not proceed as planned unless the party revisits its decisions. In a bid to enforce their stance, they have reportedly taken steps to seek legal intervention to halt the convention.
According to TheCable, the Federal High Court in Abuja last week declined to grant an interim order restraining the PDP from holding its national convention.
Justice James Omotosho, in his ruling delivered on Thursday, dismissed an ex parte application filed by Wike’s associates seeking to stop both the Independent National Electoral Commission and the PDP from proceeding with the scheduled leadership meetings and convention.
Responding to these attempts, Makinde—who serves as Chairman of the National Convention Transportation Subcommittee—affirmed that the event would proceed as planned.
He said, “This meeting is just a demonstration of the fact that the National Convention of our great party—the train—has moved, and whoever is trying to stop a moving train is probably also trying to commit suicide. So my advice is this: no matter how highly placed, no matter what has transpired in the past, we don’t want to see anyone dead. So please, don’t commit suicide.”
Makinde stated that the party remains unbothered by the defections, emphasising that the final decision rests with the Nigerian people.
He said, “We have a party that has gone through a full cycle. We have been a government in power since democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999. We’ve faced the challenges of governing this country. We have people with experience who have occupied positions of leadership. We went to the bottom of it when we lost power in 2015, and we’ve been in opposition since then.