*It’s Political 419, Wike Claims
By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan
Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has thrown his hat in the ring for a shot at the presidency in 2027 on the ticket of Allied People’s Movement (APM).
He belongs to a faction of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which is in an alliance with APM.
The two opposition parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, today.
Seyi Bamidele signed the MoU on behalf of the PDP, while Oladele Oyadeji signed for APM.
Governor Makinde and the National Chairman of APM, Yusuf Dantalle, also signed the agreement on behalf of both parties.
The governor, thereafter, declared his intention to join the 2027 presidential race.
Makinde called on opposition leaders to unite against what he described as a deliberate effort by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to redirect Nigeria to a one-party state.
He maintained that Nigeria no longer operates democracy without a political landscape that guarantees a level playing ground for opposition parties without the interference of the ruling party.
He equally called on Nigerians to rise above being what he described as political spectators and bystanders, assuring that with collective participation of all Nigerians of eligible age for voting, the country would record a historic reset come 2027.
Reacting to the alliance, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, also today, dismissed the alliance, describing the claim as “political 419.”
Speaking with journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects in Gomani–Yangoje, Kwali Area Council, Abuja, Wike accused Makinde of misleading Nigerians with claims of a PDP-APM alliance ahead of 2027.
“When I say people are fraudulent, they thought I was joking. And that’s the 419 we are talking about,” he alleged.
He said both the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were not aware of the existence of such alliance.
It is noteworthy that Wike belongs to a faction of PDP to which Gov. Makinde is not a member.
“There’s no alliance between PDP and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) or any other political party, as the case may be. INEC also knows that there’s nothing called PDP-APM alliance,” he stated.
According to him, ongoing political activities within the PDP, including the screening of aspirants, clearly showed that the party remained independent and had not entered into any coalition arrangement.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Makinde (l) waves to his supporters (r) at the event… today.
