The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Saturday, said the 2027 general election is between the ruling All Progressives Congress and Nigerians.
He stated this during the commissioning of the Late Olusoji Adagunodo zonal secretariat of the party in Ibadan, the state capital, adding that his next political agenda would be determined by nobody else except himself.
In attendance at the event were the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, former Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, members of the National Working Committee of the party, other leaders from the Zonal and across the six geo-political zones.
Makinde said Nigerians would be the determinant of the next leadership of the country, urging PDP leaders to look inward, work together and salvage the country.
He said, “People have been complaining; they have been talking; they have been doing a lot of permutation. Let me say this again. I will say it by myself. Nobody will set an agenda for me apart from myself.
“They have also been talking, the ruling party, all the parties, let me say this, If you are accusing the ruling party that they are the ones putting their hands into all other parties to ensure that they don’t get their hearts together so that there will be no opposition in 2027, my own position is, there are certain things that you have under your own control.
“Whether I and Governor Adeleke will cooperate for the growth and benefit of our party in the South-West states, it is beyond the ruling party. It is between me and Governor Adeleke. So please, let us all work together and unite our base, that is all that we need to do.
“The next election will be APC versus Nigerians. It is not even about APC versus PDP. So, let us do our own bit to unite our party, unite our base, and let the people of Nigeria, let them speak.”
“Nobody apart from myself can set an agenda for me on what to do next with my political career.”
In his remarks, the Osun State Governor, Adeleke said, “We must forget the past of division and unite for the good of our dear party. It is better for us to fight each other inside the Government House than outside. We must refocus attention on building strong administrative operational structures.”
Also, the Acting National Chairman, Damagum described the late Adagunodo as a kind and down-to-earth man whose contributions added value to the successes the party has attained in the country.
He said with unity, PDP can reclaim all the states of the southwest and the entire country as a whole.