Politics
Oyo 2023: Makinde secures PDP governorship ticket for second term
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, clinched the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket for a second tenure, with 1,040
votes at the party’s governorship primary held at the Lekan Salami Sport Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, Governor Makinde scored a total of 1,040 votes out of the accredited votes of 1,048, to beat Barr. Hazeem Gbolarumi, who polled two votes.
Adisa, in the statement added that the congress was monitored by security agents, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State, Barr. Mutu Agboke and other INEC officials.
The returning officer and chairman of the Oyo State PDP Governorship Congress Panel, Senator Ben Obi, who was represented by the Panel’s Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Mai Basira, said that the total votes cast were 1,048, with six of the votes voided.
The governor, in his acceptance speech, maintained that he would continue to fulfil all the promises he made to the people of the state, adding that he will do all within his power to continue to move the people from poverty to prosperity as he had been doing in the last three years.
Makinde, who rallied party members to work together for the party’s progress, noted that the PDP remained the best option for the people of Oyo State and Nigerians.
According to him, the party has, in three years of its leadership in Oyo, brought tremendous economic prosperity and massive infrastructure development to the State.
He added that it was time to rescue Nigeria and that the PDP remained the best path towards realising that goal.
Makinde, who noted that he would reach out to Barr. Gbolarumi with a view to working together, said it was time for a new beginning for the party.
“Few weeks back, I announced that I would run for a second term and was overwhelmed by the positive feedback I received from everyone, especially you, our delegates.
“Coming here today to witness your endorsement and my election as your standard-bearer in the 2023 election, what can I just say? I can only say thank you.
“I am not the most brilliant or the most upright but you gave me your mandate today and I appreciate it. I thank you for believing in me and in our party, PDP. Thank you for trusting in me. You see, trust is like a building and, for every building to stand, it must have a solid foundation. The foundation for trust is truth.
“I told you in 2018 that I may not be right all the time but we would be honest with you all the time, because I have the control over whether I want to be truthful or not. And because I have been truthful to you, we now have the bond and trust between us. I say it to you once again that I will keep to all the promises made to you.
“Since we took office in 2019, we have kept our promises. We promised to scrap the N3,000 school fees for parents, and did we scrap it or not? We did. We promised the sole ownership of LAUTECH. Today, do we have it or not? We do. We promised standard PHCs in each ward, are you seeing them come up or not? We promised to prioritise security, did we not give you Amotekun or not? We promised a robust economy, have we not been paying civil servants consistently?
“Today is 25th and I am sure civil servants and pensioners must have received alerts. We promised to build Akesan and Sasa markets, which got burnt and we have done that. We promised bus terminals at Ojoo, Challenge and we have executed that. The terminal at Iwo Road is also coming.
“We promised to build roads because our infrastructure will target our economy. Moniya-Iseyin road is completed. Oyo-Iseyin road is ongoing. We flagged off the Ogbomoso-Fapote-Iseyin road recently. The Airport road is there. Awotan-Apete-Akufo road is also there. We built Challenge, Odo-Ona Elewe road to decongest Ring road. Even the stadium we are in used to be a den of armed robbers, but is now a sight to behold.
“This is your government and have we not made you proud? All we have been able to do is because you gave us a chance, and you are trusting us today to even do more. And I want to promise you that we will do more than your expectation”, he said.
Governor Makinde declared that as long as he remained the governor of Oyo State, he would continue with his resolve to move people from poverty to prosperity.
“As long as I remain the governor of Oyo State, God be with us, I will continue to do all within my power to move the people from poverty to prosperity.
“I will continue to work for you. You are our Bosses. You sent us on this assignment. So, I want to urge all our members to work towards the progress of our party.
“I promise you that this night, I will call Barrister Hazeem Gbolarumi, as it is a new beginning for the PDP in Oyo State. 2023 is our time to rescue Nigeria.
“When they say to you that we are all the same, ask them to compare eight years of APC to three years of PDP in Oyo State. Ask them to compare the economic prosperity of 16 years of PDP to what we have now. They promised to take us from ‘top to bottom’ and, indeed, we are even inside the hole. Tell them PDP is coming at the federal level. We are coming,” Makinde added.
The governor equally lauded his co-contestant for the PDP governorship ticket, Barr. Gbolarumi, for participating in the process to deepen democracy.
Adisa recalled that earlier, Gbolarumi, had while addressing delegates, described Governor Makinde as the father of the party, saying that his involvement in the primary was to show that there is democracy in Oyo State PDP.
He explained that whatever happened at the congress ground was politics, urging all members of the party to avoid tendencies that could divide the party.
He said: “We are in the same party but I don’t want us to be divided. What we are doing is just formality. There is no reason for us to sit here and be contesting for the same post. We already have a leader in the state. No matter how small he is, Governor Makinde is our leader in the state. I pray that this party won’t be divided.
“I have always been a member of PDP and I have no intention of leaving the party. As an elder, I can only guide the party so it doesn’t go the wrong way.
“What is happening here today is what we call politics. It shows that the tenets of democracy stand in Oyo PDP. I urge our members to deviate from anything that will paint the party in a bad light.
“Governor Seyi Makinde is our father. As a human, he is not perfect but let us be bold enough to say the truth to power no matter what the circumstances may be.”
Afterwards, Gbolarumi raised Makinde’s hands as he noted that Makinde is truly the leader and the party’s choice for the 2023 elections.
A former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, has been sworn in as the Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging members of the party to rally support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo formally assumed office on Friday following the inauguration of the newly elected State Executive Committee members who will manage the affairs of the party in the state for the next four years.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the party’s State Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, marked the climax of the party’s 2026 congresses in the state.
The South-West Zonal Legal Adviser of the APC, Kolawole Majaro, administered the oath of office on Adeyemo and 35 other members of the State Executive Committee.
The executives had emerged through a consensus arrangement during the March 3, 2026 state congress held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, under the supervision of a committee led by Amos Gombi from the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
In his acceptance speech, Adeyemo described his emergence as a renewed call to service, pledging to strengthen the party and sustain unity among members.
He appreciated party leaders within and outside the state for ensuring a smooth and successful congress process.
Adeyemo also commended members of the Local Organising Committee, particularly Fatai Ibikunle and Afeez Bolaji Repete, for their contributions to the success of the exercise.
He said, “This new State Executive Committee under my leadership is being put in place to add value and strengthen our great party in view of the challenges ahead.
“We have used the opportunity of the congresses to showcase our collective commitment to unity and harmony as progressives and democrats.”
The new chairman expressed optimism that the atmosphere of peace within the party would be sustained ahead of future party primaries and the 2027 elections.
According to him, the party’s target is to secure 90 per cent of the votes in Oyo State for President Tinubu while also reclaiming the state’s Government House in 2027.
Adeyemo praised the President’s leadership, saying the administration was delivering on its promises.
“President Tinubu is, no doubt, performing beyond our expectations and the best way to appreciate his good work is to retain him in Aso Rock until 2031,” he said.
“Against all odds, the President is pursuing his Renewed Hope Agenda with vigour and passion, while the positive results are being felt across sectors of the economy and national life.”
Other members of the newly inaugurated executive include Taofeek Lamidi as Deputy Chairman, Fatai Adesina as State Secretary, Adekemi Opatunde as Woman Leader, Olawale Sadare as Publicity Secretary, Olalekan Oladejo as Youth Leader, and Remi Adepoju as Organising Secretary.
Also inaugurated were Ajiboye Akinsanya as Treasurer, Sunday Aborisade as Legal Adviser, Tinuade Adigun as Auditor, Lukman Owonikoko as Assistant State Secretary, Fatimah Hassan as Deputy Woman Leader, and Jimoh Osundara as the Leader of Persons Living With Disabilities, among others.
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he had joined the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja, attributing his decision to what he described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP.
The lawmaker said the emergence of the NDC would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by providing a credible opposition platform.
According to him, the party recently received its certificate of registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, “Last week INEC issued a certificate of registration and we now have the newest party in Nigeria known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress and our symbol is victory, the victory sign.
“So, my dear Nigerians, you now have a credible alternative opposition party known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”
Dickson noted that although the party’s registration took longer than expected, its eventual approval was a welcome development for the country’s democratic landscape.
“Yes, it is coming at this time. We would have wished it started some years or months back. We don’t control INEC and their processes; they delayed. We don’t also control the judiciary, but thank God it has finally arrived,” he said.
The senator also stressed that Nigeria’s democracy must not slide into a one-party system, insisting that political diversity remained vital for national stability.
“This nation cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state.
“We are a very diverse nation culturally, religiously and politically and that is the beauty of our country.
“So anyone or any party promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is mistaken. We build political parties and get involved in movements to access power for the good of the people, not for our personal benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced the registration of two new political parties.
The parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The announcement was made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026.
According to him, the Democratic Leadership Alliance completed the required verification process, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has congratulated the newly elected State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State.
The party, at its state congress held on Tuesday at Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, elected a former Deputy Governor of the state, Moses Alake Adeyemo, as its new chairman alongside other state executive members.
Oseni, in a statement on Wednesday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, described Adeyemo’s emergence as well-deserved, noting that his experience and longstanding commitment to the party would further strengthen its structure in the state.
He said the peaceful conduct of the congress demonstrated the party’s commitment to internal democracy and progressive leadership.
The statement said, “I congratulate our newly elected State Chairman and leader, His Excellency, Moses Alake Adeyemo, and other members of the State Executive Committee on their emergence. This victory reflects the confidence reposed in them by party members across the state.”
Oseni further expressed confidence that the new leadership would reposition the party for greater cohesion and electoral success.
According to him, “This is a critical moment for our party in Oyo State. It calls for unity, reconciliation, and renewed commitment to the ideals that bind us together as progressives.”
The federal lawmaker assured the new executives of his support and cooperation in advancing the programmes of the party and strengthening its grassroots structures.
He urged party members to rally behind the new leadership to ensure stability and secure future victories for the APC in the state.
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