I’m staying in PDP, no plans to defect, says Makinde  

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has dismissed speculations about a possible defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, saying he remains comfortable in the opposition party.

Makinde spoke with journalists at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday amid his visit to the Presidential Villa.

In a video aired by the NTA, Makinde, responding to questions on his political future, said, “No, no, no. I’m comfortable in the PDP.”

“And again, we may have issues in this country where you need a bipartisan approach. Where it won’t be an issue of maybe APC talking alone or PDP talking alone, where we will have to look at what is the best foot forward, in the interest of our nation.

“So when you get to that junction, you need everybody on board.”

President Bola Tinubu held separate meetings with Makinde and Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The two governors arrived at the State House separately at about 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm, with Mutfwang arriving first.

The meetings came against the backdrop of ongoing political realignments as key stakeholders commence strategic consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Makinde, a member of the PDP, remains one of the few governors still in the party amid a wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The Oyo governor is also widely believed to be nursing a presidential ambition and is positioning himself for the PDP’s 2027 presidential ticket.

Mutfwang, on the other hand, recently defected from the PDP to the APC, joining a growing list of opposition figures who have crossed over to the ruling party.

Thursday’s visit marked his first known encounter with Tinubu since his defection.