Fayose Criticizes Oyo Governor Makinde, Pledges Loyalty to Wike and PDP

Former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose has harshly criticized Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, calling him a “small boy” and accusing him of weakening the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure in the Southwest.

Fayose claimed Makinde was responsible for making a man, who was allegedly involved in an assassination attempt on the late former Minister of Justice, Bola Ige, the PDP governorship candidate in Osun State.

Fayose accused Makinde of abusing his power, hijacking valuable state assets, and driving away PDP members who helped him politically. “Almost everybody who worked for his ascension has been driven away,” Fayose said.

He further alleged that Makinde has destroyed all PDP structures in the Southwest. “In Osun recently, somebody who did not obtain the form of PDP became the candidate of the party. The person that was meant to kill Bola Ige at that time became the candidate of PDP in Osun, he didn’t obtain form,” Fayose claimed.

Recalling a personal incident, Fayose said, “When I went to Osun to do primary, Makinde organized the drivers union to attack me, he eventually sent that guy to Agodi Prison now, Makinde is a small boy.”

Despite his strong criticisms, Fayose downplayed any possibility of leaving the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC). He declared his loyalty to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, saying, “I’m a Wike person. Anywhere Wike is, that is where I am.”

Fayose affirmed his commitment to the PDP, stating, “I will never join the APC.”

Fayose was part of Wike’s G-5 Integrity group within the PDP, which chose to work with other presidential candidates during the 2023 election. The G-5 group opposed the then PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar because he rejected the party’s rotation policy.

Interestingly, Fayose, Wike, Makinde, and former governor Ugwuanyi worked for the emergence of President Bola Tinubu, a member of the APC.