…Party not dead, will offer better option for Nigerians — Makinde
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not dead, but remains alive and vowed to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking after the PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit held in Lagos on Thursday, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said the gathering was convened to unite all stakeholders and tendencies within the party ahead of future contests.
Makinde, alongside other party leaders, stressed that the meeting was not about divisions but about strengthening internal democracy and preparing the PDP to reclaim its rightful place in national politics.
The parley brought together prominent party figures, including Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, former Akwa Ibom Governor Emmanuel Udom, ex-Osun Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former presidential candidate Ben Obi, Chief Olabode George, and members of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT).
Makinde dismissed criticisms from another group of PDP leaders who had earlier disowned the Lagos meeting, labelling it as secretive and serving narrow interests.
He said the Lagos summit was consultative in nature and consistent with the ideals of democracy.
It would be recalled that a coalition of PDP heavyweights from Southern Nigeria, comprising state chairmen of the party, former governors, National Assembly members, among others, in a trending news had publicly disowned and condemned a zoning consultation meeting scheduled for Lagos, accusing the summit’s conveners of operating in “secrecy and exclusion” to serve “the selfish ambition of a select few.”
Addressing newsmen after the closed parley, Governor Makinde dismissed the group of party faithful, even as it declared equally that the party would not get into the gutters, noting that efforts would be made to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party.
“Personally, when people go low, or they go into the gutters, I don’t go with them,” he said.
Makinde said the parley was mainly to undertake consultation, which democracy was all about, adding that all of them at the summit had taken far-reaching decision has taken far-reaching decisions and committed to taking PDP back to its rightful position in Nigeria.
“We just finished the consultative meeting of the PDP Zoning Committee for the South, and nothing should stop us from consulting. Democracy is about the minority having its say and the majority having its way. That is democracy.
“What is it exactly are we trying to do? We’re trying to get all stakeholders, all tendencies in the PDP together so that we can give a credible alternative to Nigerians in the years ahead.
“So we’re democrats, the South has taken far-reaching decisions, and in the days ahead leading to our next meeting, wider consultations will also take place, and we are sure that those that have been saying all around that PDP is dead, PDP is now a carcass, at least with the caliber of the people that you’ve seen here, sitting governors, former governors, leaders and elders, the former Senate president, chairman of BOT, they are all here and committed to PDP taking back its rightful position in Nigeria.
“So in the days ahead, some of the things discussed here, you’ll see them on course.
“Yeah, but you can see here, let me just go through a little bit of the people that are here. Governor Adeleke is here. He came back into this country, I believe, this morning, and then he went straight to Osogbo to address some governance issues. But he said, Look, whatever we decide here, he is with us.
“Governor Diri is here, Governor Peter Mba, who couldn’t make it physically, he sent the deputy governor, you know, who is here. You have the Chairman of our Board of Trustees here. You also have at least 12 of the 17 members of the zoning committee from the South.
“It’s one per state. So you have 12 states here. You have in each zone, you have Rep members here, you have Senators from each zone in the South, the three zones,” he said.
Reacting to a question, Makinde said the summit had not decided on the zone that should produce the 2027 presidential candidate, pointing out that there was “a need to have a party first before you start talking about a presidential candidate.”
According to him, in the absence of a party, anything being done will fall flat, saying that all efforts are now being directed towards having a viral and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and again will believe in.
Meanwhile, Some state Chairmen of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), including National Assembly members, and former National Working Committee members and other stakeholders from the South have disowned the ongoing zoning summit in Lagos.
The Lagos meeting is expected to take a decision on the impute of the Southern stakeholders on the zoning of the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) at the November 15th and 16th convention and the 2027 general elections.
But the PDP leaders in a statement on Thursday said “any resolutions, communiqués, or outcomes purportedly emanating from the meeting is neither binding on, or reflective of, the collective will and aspirations of the PDP family across Southern Nigeria,” adding that “Decisions reached in secrecy and exclusion cannot and shall not assume the authority of consensus.”
The statement was signed by the State Party Chairmen of Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah, Barr. Venatuis Ikem, Rt. Hon Aniekan Akpan and Aaron Chukwuemeka, as well as the National Vice Chairman (South-East), Hon. Chidiebere Egwu Goodluck and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon O. K. Chinda.
Others were Senators Igwe Nwagu, Mao Ohuabunwa, George Sekibo, Mike Ama Nnachi, former National Secretary, Rt. Hon. Onwe S. Onwe, Deputy National Legal Adviser, Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha, former Ebonyi State Legal Adviser, Barr. Mudi Erhenede, among others.
The statement titled, “Re: Purported Meeting Of PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit,” said, “The attention of the undersigned State Chairmen of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the South and some critical stakeholders has been drawn to a meeting summoned in Lagos today 21st August 2025 by some persons purporting to do so on behalf of PDP Members of the South tagged ‘PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit’ convened by the Admin Secretary, Zoning Committee of the PDP at the behest of the Chairman Zoning Committee (H.E Senator Duoye Diri) at the Legend Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
“The said meeting tagged ‘a summit’ was allegedly convened in the name of the three geo-political zones of Southern Nigeria — South East, South South, and South West.
“It is highly regrettable and indeed deeply disturbing that such a meeting was convened without the courtesy of inviting several State Chairmen from the South East and South South, as well as the duly elected National Secretary and Deputy National Legal Adviser of our great party.
“Even more troubling is the inexplicable exclusion of several national officers, eminent leaders, and critical stakeholders of the PDP. Shockingly, the Minority Leader in the National Assembly and other principal officers of our party from the South-South and South-East were also deliberately sidelined and denied participation in a meeting where such far-reaching and sensitive decisions on zoning, power rotation, and political equity are to be discussed.
“Equally concerning is the deliberate omission of most former governors from the South East and South South, who, by every standard of history, pedigree, and institutional memory, remain critical stakeholders in any conversation about the future direction of our party. Such a brazen disregard for established structures and statutory organs of the PDP not only offends the spirit of collective decision-making but also risks undermining the very foundation upon which our party was built.”
The group said for the avoidance of doubt, it categorically dismiss any resolutions, communiqués, or outcomes purportedly emanating from the meeting as neither binding on, or reflective of, the collective will and aspirations of the PDP family across Southern Nigeria.
“Decisions reached in secrecy and exclusion cannot and shall not assume the authority of consensus. More particularly, the said summit is premature and targeted at protecting the interest and selfish ambition of a select few as the Zoning Committee set up by the 101 NEC is yet to present its report for ratification by the party,” the statement added.
It also called on the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), and all stakeholders of the party to disregard any outcome of the said meeting which is not only illegal but divisive
