Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Monday launched a blistering attack on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, describing him as a “vagabond” in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and accusing him of interfering in the party’s affairs in Oyo State despite what he called Wike’s failure to strengthen the PDP in Rivers State.
Makinde made the remarks during a public address in Ibadan, shortly after Wike expressed interest in the activities of the Oyo State chapter of the PDP. The comments were delivered at a PDP event, which coincided with activities marking the 50th anniversary of Oyo State and the commissioning of a new party secretariat.
Invoking a Yoruba proverb, Makinde said a seemingly peaceful household often remains so because the “vagabond” within it has not yet matured, before applying the analogy to the PDP’s internal crisis.
“The vagabonds in the PDP, they grew up in 2015. They had their time—ten years, a whole decade—and they practised their vagabondism in the PDP. But they were expelled in November 2025,” Makinde said.
He directly named Wike, adding, “Nyesom Wike is a vagabond who surfaced fully in 2015 and was expelled in 2025. Ask him what he has done with the PDP in Rivers State to now have an interest in Oyo PDP.”
Makinde also acknowledged that he had previously aligned with Wike’s faction, particularly in the period leading up to the 2023 general elections, but said he had since distanced himself from the group.
“Let me confess, I came into government in 2019, and towards 2023, I was yoked with them. But now I have repented. I am now born again,” the governor said, drawing applause from supporters at the event.
He stressed that he would not allow the PDP to be used to advance the interests of another political party, a remark widely interpreted as a reference to alleged cross-party manoeuvres ahead of the 2027 elections.
The exchange highlights the deepening rift between Makinde and Wike, who were once close allies and prominent members of the influential G5 governors’ bloc within the PDP. Tensions escalated further after Wike, on February 2, 2026, declared his interest in the “survival, stability and success” of the Oyo PDP, a statement seen by many party observers as a challenge to Makinde’s leadership of the state chapter.
Makinde maintained that the internal crisis rocking the PDP had been resolved following the expulsion of key figures he accused of fomenting unrest within the party.
Recalling events at the party’s elective national convention held in Ibadan on November 16, 2025, Makinde said the PDP expelled Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, and the party’s embattled National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, over actions deemed inimical to the party’s unity.
“In Yoruba land, we always say that if you see a house or a compound that is peaceful, the vagabond in that house has not grown up,” Makinde said. “But they have now been expelled. So there are no more vagabonds in the PDP.”
He added that those expelled were now “wearing rags, dancing in the midnight,” insisting that the PDP had regained control of its affairs and was focused on rebuilding ahead of future elections.
The comments are expected to further inflame tensions within the opposition party as it grapples with internal realignments and preparations for the 2027 polls.
