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PDP Leaders Rally Behind Seyi Makinde, Sidelining Atiku Abubakar Ahead of 2027 Election – From Victor Chibuzo

New signs suggest that prominent leaders within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be siding with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, potentially sidelining former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. This development comes just a week after PDP governors facilitated peace talks among the party’s factions.

Despite calls to maintain unity, factions within the PDP National Working Committee loyal to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike are advocating for Makinde’s candidacy ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Sources indicate that this push aims to thwart Atiku’s ambitions and prevent the party from granting him the nomination, as many view him as a “serial contestant.”

Some party leaders, speaking anonymously, expressed their lingering dissatisfaction with Atiku, blaming him for failing to seize their opportunity to regain power in 2023. They specifically criticized his unwillingness to accommodate the five discontented governors who demanded the resignation of former national chairman Iyorchia Ayu.

Wike, Makinde, and other former governors had previously opposed Atiku’s election. One anonymous source lamented, “Every election cycle, he is given the ticket but he bungles it. He could have appeased the five governors and secured the election for us.”

Members of the National Working Committee also perceive Atiku as someone who experiments with the party rather than genuinely committing to its success, especially regarding the fallout from the Ayu campaign. Concerns over Atiku’s age contributing to his electability in 2027 have reinforced their support for a younger candidate like Makinde.

“One cannot simply keep using the PDP for personal experimentation,” one NWC member stated. “We support Seyi Makinde—he is capable, young, and can connect well with voters. We just need a strong northern candidate alongside him.”

When asked about the possibility of Atiku collaborating with Peter Obi from the Labour Party, a PDP leader noted that Obi has not yet decided to join the PDP, although this could change.

Makinde has expressed his intention to run for presidency in 2027 when the time is appropriate, remarking that speculation about his political future is unnecessary. During a recent visit to Fashola farm, he emphasized his capability to address matters concerning himself and warned against allowing Nigeria to devolve into a one-party state.

Efforts to comment from PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba and Deputy Spokesman Abdullahi Ibrahim were unsuccessful. Atiku’s Media Adviser Paul Ibe declined to comment, while his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, stated that they are not feeling pressured by the emerging support for Makinde.

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