Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has abandoned the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and endorses Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, this has worsened the crisis in the party.
The Governor on Sunday affirmed his support for the position of the pan-Yoruba organisation, Afenifere, on the endorsement of Tinubu, although another faction of the group led by Chief Ayo Adebanjo earlier supported Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
Makinde, who was represented by his Deputy, Bayo Lawal, who spoke in Yoruba made this known in Akure, Ondo State at the welcoming occasion of Tinubu by the leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti and other Yoruba elders.
Tinubu, who visited the organisation to unveil his action plans for the country as documented in his 80-page campaign manifesto.
Lawal said, “Since he (Makinde) became Governor, he doesn’t joke with Yoruba matters. There is no time that father would call him that he would fail to respond.
“Whenever there is an event, either organised by Afenifere or any other Yoruba group, Governor Makinde will always be supportive. Though we are not of the same political affiliation, we are bound by ethnicity. Yoruba land, whatever it is you are doing, he (Makinde) is in support.”
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike had earlier endorsed the governorship candidate of the APC in Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Makinde, Wike and three other governors of the PDP; Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Samuel Ortom (Benue) have been calling for the resignation of the national chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, as a condition to support the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar.
These developments are said to be causing problems among some leaders of the PDP ahead of the election.
A source at the party’s secretariat noted that “no party man will be happy with the situation of things. If you are aggrieved with Atiku Abubakar, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, are you also aggrieved with the Lagos State chapter of the party?”
