Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has played down rumours of an imminent defection, insisting that he has no plans to leave the the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor made this known on Thursday while speaking with journalists at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
In a video broadcast by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Makinde dismissed speculation about his political future, stating: “No, no, no. I’m comfortable in the PDP.”
He, however, acknowledged that certain national challenges may require cooperation across party lines.
“And again, we may have issues in this country where you need a bipartisan approach. Where it won’t be an issue of maybe APC talking alone or PDP talking alone, where we will have to look at what is the best foot forward, in the interest of our nation.
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“So when you get to that junction, you need everybody on board.”
Earlier on Thursday, President Tinubu held separate closed-door meetings with both Makinde and Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, at the State House.
Mutfwang arrived at the Villa around 3:00 pm, while Makinde followed about 30 minutes later.
The meetings took place amid ongoing political manoeuvres and consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections, with several high-profile politicians realigning their affiliations.
Despite being a PDP member, Makinde is now among the few governors still in the party, following a wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Oyo State governor is also believed to be nurturing presidential ambitions and is considered one of the potential contenders for the PDP’s 2027 presidential ticket.
Mutfwang, meanwhile, recently left the PDP for the APC, becoming one of the latest opposition figures to join the ruling party.
Thursday’s visit marked his first publicly known meeting with President Tinubu since his defection.
