IN a veiled response to the tirade of Mr Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on Monday, Governor SeyiMakinde of Oyo State, yesterday, declared that expelled elements he described as “vagabonds” no longer have control over the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
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Both Wike and Makinde were members of the G5 governors in the lead-up to the 2023 general elections, but later fell apart shortly after the election.
Speaking at the commissioning of Oyo PDP Secretariat at Oke Ado, Ibadan, yesterday, Makinde said the “vagabonds” in the PDP were expelled in November 2025, and attributed the party’s challenges to a leadership vacuum that emerged after 2015, which he said allowed indiscipline to thrive.
The governor said: “In Yoruba land, we always say that if you see a house or a compound that is peaceful, the vagabond in that house has not grown up.
“The vagabonds in PDP; they grew up in 2015. They had their time and 10 years — a decade — they practised their ‘vagabondcy’ in the PDP. But they were expelled in November 2025, so no more vagabonds in PDP.
“So whatever it is that they are doing, you should be able to trace it back to their origin.
In 2015, PDP lost power at the federal level; there was a gap in the leadership; otherwise, those vagabonds will never have been able to take hold of PDP.”
The governor said he was previously aligned with the group but had since distanced himself.
“Let me confess, I came into government in 2019, and towards 2023, I was yoked with them, but now I’ve repented, I’m now born again,” he added.
Makinde, who said allowing the group to dominate the party again would be unacceptable, also accused unnamed actors of spreading falsehoods against the party.
“But for them to hold PDP down for another party to be in power, it is a no-no. The leaders who were here to give us the goodwill messages kept hammering on something.
“They kept talking about the truth, the truth and the truth. And what I will say is lies. They can continue peddling their lies for 20 years. But the day truth comes out, that is the end of the lies,’’ Makinde said.
While expressing confidence in the judiciary to resolve ongoing legal disputes involving the party, he said the various court cases involving the PDP would eventually be resolved.
He said further: “I have absolute trust in Nigeria’s judiciary. I know they will do the needful. So, all these court cases — they will all come together at some point. And the judiciary, being the last hope of the common man, will give justice to PDP.’’
The governor also acknowledged past political alignments he described as regrettable, stating that he had since resolved not to repeat them.
He announced that the newly commissioned secretariat would be named Mustapha House in honour of Alhaji Omokunmi Mustapha, the former state chairman under whose leadership the PDP returned to power in Oyo State in 2019.
He said: “After the PDP was out of power at the federal level from 2015, it was in 2019 that a chairman led the party back to power in Oyo State. That chairman is Alhaji Mustapha. In recognition of this legacy, this building will be named Mustapha House.”
Makinde added that he will formally hand over the title deeds of the property to the PDP National Chairman, who will transmit it to the party’s Board of Trustees.
“This document before me is the title deeds to this property. I will be formally handing it over to the national chairman who will, in turn, transmit it to the Board of Trustees, the body that holds the assets of the PDP in trust for the party.”
Makinde, who, however, reaffirmed his commitment to the party beyond Oyo State, noted: “My interest is not limited to Oyo State alone. I am deeply committed to the growth, stability, and unity of the PDP, not just at the state level, but nationally.”
Earlier in his address, the PDP South-West Chairman, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, described the event as a demonstration of unity within the party in the region.
Ajisafe said: “Today’s (yesterday’s) event stands as a clear demonstration that the South-West is united and firmly positioned within our great party.”
Also speaking, Oyo PDP Chairman, Mr Dayo Ogungbenro, said completion of the secretariat underscored the leadership capacity and vision within the party, admitting that he was initially sceptical about the project.
“When the idea of establishing this secretariat was first conceived, I was sceptical. At the time, I had just experienced an accident, and I questioned whether such an ambitious project was truly achievable, given the challenges the party had faced. I even wondered if we could only afford something as modest as providing lunch for members”, Ogungbenro said.
You’re a repentant vagabond – Wike
In a swift reaction, the camp of the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, launched a scathing verbal assault on Governor Makinde, describing his recent pledge of loyalty to the PDP as the late “repentance of a vagabond.”
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Mr Lere Olayinka, who was reacting to the governor’s vow not to suppress the PDP for the benefit of another party in 2027, dismissed the declaration as a face-saving measure borne out of political fear.
Olayinka characterised Makinde’s sudden shift in rhetoric as an admission of his past role in undermining the party’s interests.
He said: “He (Makinde) admitted that he was a vagabond. He said he has now repented. So, he is first a vagabond who claimed to have repented; happy repentance to him from being a vagabond.”
The minister’s aide further questioned the governor’s political consistency, warning that the “repentance” may only be temporary.
Invoking a traditional proverb to illustrate his point, Olayinka suggested that Makinde remained prone to the same “treachery” that defined his previous political manoeuvres.
“In my place, it is said that even when a madman is cured of his madness, there will still remain some traces of madness. Therefore, like he has been inconsistent politically, don’t be surprised tomorrow when he returns to being the same vagabond he claimed to have repented from,” he added.
Olayinka contended that the governor was currently unsettled by the shifting political landscape and attempting to seek refuge within the party structure to avoid impending fallout.
He said: “Truth is, we understand his fears and worries. We understand that he knows what is coming. But too bad, we can’t help him from being consumed by the fire of political treachery he ignited.”
Recall that Wike had earlier on Monday declared interest in all activities of the PDP in Oyo State.
Speaking at the 105th National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of his faction in Abuja, Wike had vowed to protect the national party from those he described as internal “vampires.”
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