Wike to Makinde: Claim I Promised to “Hold PDP” for Tinubu Is a Lie

Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has dismissed claims by Oyo governor Seyi Makinde that he promised President Bola Tinubu to “hold PDP” ahead of the 2027 election, describing the allegation as a “blatant lie”.

The relationship between the two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains has remained strained since the 2023 presidential election, when both men were members of the G5 governors who declined to support Atiku Abubakar’s candidacy.

The rift deepened last week after Makinde alleged that Wike made the remark during a meeting with President Tinubu. Speaking to journalists during a media chat at the Oyo Government House in Ibadan, Makinde said: “I was in a meeting with the president and Wike and a few others, and Wike said to the president that I will hold PDP for you against 2027; I was in shock.”

He added: “So, we got up, and I asked Wike, did we agree to this?”

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Makinde also said he would not support Tinubu’s re-election bid, citing concerns about the survival of democracy in Nigeria.

Reacting on Monday during his end-of-year media chat in Rivers State, Wike rejected the accusation. “That’s a blatant lie,” he said.

Wike questioned why Makinde failed to raise the alleged comment with PDP leaders if it had indeed been made. “What was the purpose of that meeting? Why did Makinde not come out to tell the party that this is what Wike said?” he asked.

He insisted that no such discussion took place. “There was no such meeting… What was the purpose of that meeting that would have led me to say, ‘Mr. President, I will hold PDP for you’?”

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Wike added: “Let me put the record straight: there was no such meeting,” saying he, alongside former governors Okezie Ikpeazu, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Makinde, only went to see the president.

Describing Makinde’s claim as unfair, Wike said: “That is so unfair to say that I said that… It’s not correct.” He also suggested that Makinde appeared frustrated during the media chat and criticised his understanding of party politics.

If you want, I can also give you headline options in a more neutral wire style or a punchier Guardian-style framing.