Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has revealed that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in a meeting promised to “hold the PDP” to ease President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

“I was in a meeting with President Tinubu, Nyesom Wike, and others when Wike volunteered to hold the PDP for Tinubu against 2027, and I was in shock. Wike can support the president in 2027, but I will not,” Mr Makinde said.

Affirming his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Makinde explained that he informed President Tinubu of his inability to work with the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress.

“I said, no, sir, I can never help you organise the APC in Oyo State because I am of the PDP,” Mr Makinde stated.

The governor noted that the feud between him and the FCT minister stemmed from his refusal to join forces with Mr Wike, despite being in an opposition party, to support President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

He stated, “The real issue is that Wike would like to support the President for 2027. That’s fine. It is within his rights. But some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria, and that PDP survives as well. He should allow us to make our own choices.

“I tried to engage him through a mutual friend, but when he did not back off, I confronted him directly. From that day, I made it clear I would never be part of this. Wike can support him, but it is also within my right to decide who I will support or what I will do in 2027. This explains the current conflict within the PDP.

“It is within his right to do that. But also, it is within my own right to decide within the political space who I will support or what I will do in 2027,” Makinde said.

The governor noted that his efforts, alongside others, towards preserving the existence of the Peoples Democratic Party, were to ensure that the country’s political landscape does not become a one-party system.

“Some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria, we don’t drift into a one-party state. And we want to ensure that PDP survives. He should also allow us to do our own thing,” Mr Makinde said.

Emphasising on the need for a multi-party system, the governor stated that Mr Tinubu has the constitutional ability to restrain the minister if necessary.

“The President has the power to call his minister to order and allow democracy to survive in Nigeria,” he said.

Commenting on the state of the PDP, Mr Makinde insisted that there was no faction in the party.

He stated, “Where PDP is today, there is no faction. We held a convention here in Ibadan, we gave adequate notice to INEC, which is all that we are required to do under the law.”

Source: PeoplesGazette

Six members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the house of representatives have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lawmakers include Dumnamere Dekor (Khana/Gokana federal constituency), Solomon Bob (Abua/Odual and Ahoada east federal constituncy), Hart Cyril (Degema/Bonny federal constituency), Victor Obuzor (Ahoada west/Ogba-Egbema/Ndoni federal constituency), Blessing Amadi (Port Harcourt II federal constituency) and Felix Nweke (Eleme/Oyigbo/Tai federal constituency).

Their defection follows that of Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, who swapped the PDP for the APC on December 5, 2025.

A week before the governor’s defection, 15 members of the Rivers state house of assembly, including Martin Amaewhule, the speaker, had dumped the PDP for the APC.

Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, read the letters of the lawmaker’s defection during plenary on Wednesday.

APC national officers, including Victor Gaidam, national vice-chairman (south south), Felix Morka, national spokesperson; Dayo Israel, national youth leader; and Ajibola Basiru, national secretary, witnessed the defection.

After the defection, Abbas invited the lawmakers to the dais for photographs.

Ali Isa protested the defection, asking Abbas to declare their seats vacant.

Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader, kicked against the brief defection ceremony.

He said the ceremony should be expunged from the vote and proceedings of the day’s plenary, noting that no laws require lawmakers to announce their defection on the floor of parliament.

“Go to your ward and defect,” he said.

Abbas declined to rule on the objections.

“Your observations are noted,” he said.

Last week, four Rivers members defected to the APC.

The lawmakers are Umezuruike Manuchim (Port Harcourt I federal constituency), who defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC, while Boniface Emerengwa (Ikwerre/Emohua federal constituency), Awaji-Inombek Abiante (Opobo/Nkoro/Andoni federal constituency), and Boma Goodhead (Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru federal constituency).

With the defection, the PDP now has only three members from Rivers in the house of representatives: Chinda; Kenneth Chikere (Port Harcourt I); and Kelechi Nwogu (Etche/Omuma).

The 115 schoolchildren of St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, who were still being held by their captors as of last Friday, have regained their freedom.

Their release is coming one month after they were abducted by the terrorists in a midnight raid on the school where 315 of them, including their teachers, were taken away.

About 100 of the children were released two weeks ago and have since been reunited with their families.

Although there had yet to be issued an official confirmation of the release as at press time, reports said that the school children were released on Friday evening in faraway forest between Agwara and Borgu local government areas of the State.

Already, security agents from the office of the National Security Adviser have been mobilised for evacuation of the children under heavy security.

Equally, Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago cancelled all official engagement and his proposed brief holiday and ordered prayers for the release of the remaining children.

The governor also ordered the closure of all schools in Niger State and several other federal institutions in high-risk areas to prevent further attacks.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, accompanied by other Federal government delegations, visited Kontagora to meet the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, and distraught parents of the abducted children. Ribadu, during the meeting, assured them that the pupils were in stable condition and would soon be returned safely.

“God is with them, and God is with us. Evil will never win. They are going to come back. I give you that assurance,” he stated during the visit.

However, after 100 of the children were two weeks ago, attention was immediately shifted to the fate of the remaining 215 as security agencies continue coordinated operations to secure their release.