Former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has dismissed suggestions that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is his political leader in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisting that their political histories and experiences do not place Wike above him.
Advertisement
Oyinlola made the remarks on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he reacted to claims that the former Rivers State governor had assumed a leadership position within the PDP.
Although he reaffirmed his membership of the opposition party, the former Osun governor maintained that Wike could not be regarded as his leader, describing the minister as someone younger in political experience.
He argued that he had already occupied prominent political positions when Wike was still in school, adding that his years of involvement in politics and service within the PDP placed him in a different political generation.
“ He is not my leader. You don’t say that kind of thing. Yes, I am a member of the PDP, but he is not my leader.
“When I was governor, where was he? He was in school. So, he doesn’t qualify to be my leader. He’s my boy,” Oyinlola said.
The former governor also dismissed suggestions that he had been approached to join any proposed political coalition, expressing reservations about the description of such an arrangement as a ‘rainbow coalition’.
“Nobody has invited me to any rainbow coalition. I don’t know the meaning of rainbow except the one I know,” he added.
PDP leadership crisis fuels political divisions
Oyinlola’s comments come amid prolonged leadership disagreements and internal divisions within the PDP, which have continued to weaken the party’s cohesion and raise questions about its direction ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike, a former Rivers State governor and current FCT minister, has remained a major figure in the party’s internal politics despite serving in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet under the ruling All Progressives Congress-led administration.
His political influence has also been a source of controversy within the PDP, particularly among members who disagree with his continued relationship with the Federal Government and his position on the party’s leadership struggles.
The disagreements have deepened divisions between rival factions, with different political interests competing for control of the party’s structures and direction ahead of the next general elections.
Oyinlola’s latest remarks further highlight the tensions surrounding political influence, seniority and leadership within the opposition party as its members consider possible alliances and strategies for 2027.