Why I was absent from PDP presidential campaign flag-off, Makinde reveals

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, says he has been “busy” campaigning for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to win the 2023 general election.

He said this on Wednesday while fielding questions from state house correspondents after the swearing-in of Olukayode Ariwoola as the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Makinde was among the PDP governors who were absent from the flag-off ceremony of the party’s presidential campaign for the 2023 elections in Uyo, on Monday.

Party members loyal to Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, who Makinde identifies with, had vowed not to partake in the PDP’s presidential campaign if Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the party, does not resign from his position.

“The published presidential campaign council list translates to putting the cart before the horse; the pertinent issue remains the Ayu leadership,” Wike’s allies had said.

“We, therefore, resolve that senator Iyorchia Ayu resigns as the national chairman for an acting chairman of southern Nigeria extraction. We resolved not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr Iyorchia Ayu.”

Asked on Wednesday if there is still a crisis in the PDP that made him not attend the presidential campaign flag-off in Uyo, Makinde said he needed to be in Oyo rather than Uyo.

“I have been busy at home in Oyo state campaigning for everybody. Uyo is not where I need to put the votes together. It is in Oyo; so I stayed in Oyo,” he said.