Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has dismissed speculation about defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he remains “comfortable in the PDP” after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
Makinde addressed questions from journalists after the closed-door meeting, signalling his ongoing commitment to his party despite recent political realignments.
Asked whether he was considering joining the ruling APC like some of his counterparts, Makinde stated unequivocally that he had no plans to defect and that his political allegiance remains with the PDP, underlining the importance of bipartisan cooperation on national issues.
“No. I’m comfortable in the PDP,” the governor said, emphasising that certain national challenges require contributions from all political parties rather than partisan domination.
Recent months have seen a wave of defections from the PDP to the APC by several prominent politicians, including some state governors, raising speculation about the future of the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general election.
Makinde is one of the remaining four governors elected on the PDP platform — alongside Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) — who have so far resisted the trend of switching allegiance.
Makinde was a key figure in the G5 group of PDP governors who opposed the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 presidential election, on grounds of zoning disagreement.
During that election cycle, the G5 governors openly supported Tinubu, who went on to win the presidency.
In his comments, Makinde reiterated that the focus of his visit to the Presidential Villa was on governance issues rather than party politics. He stressed that President Tinubu serves Nigeria as a whole, not only as the leader of the APC, adding that security, poverty alleviation and welfare concerns transcend political affiliation.
“The President is the President of Nigeria, not the President of the APC,” he said.
While Makinde acknowledged the need for bipartisan collaboration on national challenges, he maintained that such cooperation does not equate to abandoning his political platform.
“We may have issues in this country where you need a bipartisan approach where it won’t be an issue of APC talking alone or PDP talking alone,” he said.
Makinde’s affirmation of loyalty to the PDP underscores the resilience of elements within the opposition as the party navigates internal crisis and external pressures.
His stance may influence debates within the PDP about strategy and cohesion ahead of the 2027 polls, while also highlighting the fluid dynamics of political alignments in Nigeria’s multi-party system.
By publicly ruling out defection and stressing the importance of bipartisan collaboration, Governor Makinde has signalled a continued commitment to the PDP’s platform.
His comments after meeting President Tinubu reflect a broader narrative of cross-party engagement on governance matters while maintaining distinct political identities.
