The Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House of Representatives has launched a strong protest against Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, accusing him of engaging in political brigandage and destabilising activities within the state chapter of the party.
Consequently, the lawmakers rejected the “purported” governorship primary election held in the state allegedly under the governor’s influence.
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The caucus stated its position in a detailed statement on Wednesday and jointly signed by its members, namely Bamidele Salam, Mudashiru Alani, Akanni Ademola, Adewale Adebayo, Adetunji Olusoji and Oladebo Omoleye.
The lawmakers expressed disappointment over what they described as Mr Makinde’s latest attempt to interfere in Osun’s internal political affairs.
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According to them, the Oyo governor had no legal or moral basis to supervise, influence, or announce any form of primary election in Osun, a state with its own party leadership, functional structures, and a sitting governor who, they said, consults widely before major decisions are made.
The lawmakers condemned the exercise they labelled a “purported governorship primary,” alleging that it was carried out with the support of “thugs and political jobbers” ferried into the state from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
They argued that the incident not only exposed what they called the governor’s “desperation for regional political relevance,” but also threatened to plunge Osun into needless political tension.
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Their criticism echoes wider concerns recently raised within the PDP. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in May publicly described Mr Makinde as the “architect” of the crisis within the party.
Mr Wike accused his former ally of colluding with other PDP leaders to sabotage agreements reached to resolve long-standing internal disputes.
The minister traced the party’s troubles back to the 2023 general election, insisting that the PDP had been held down by a lack of honesty and trust among key figures, with Mr Makinde allegedly playing a central role in sustaining the turmoil.
The Osun PDP caucus members said the events in their state had further confirmed these concerns, describing Mr Makinde’s conduct as an extension of the same tendencies fuelling discord in the national leadership.
They insisted that the PDP has a clear, established and legally recognised procedure for selecting candidates, beginning with the conduct of ward ad hoc delegate elections and national delegate elections.
“It is laughable that the Oyo State Governor does not understand, or chooses to ignore, the fact that the PDP has laid down procedures for the conduct of primaries, which include elections of ward ad-hoc delegates and national delegates without which no valid primaries can be conducted,” the statement said.
The lawmakers rejected the outcome of the alleged exercise that produced Adebayo Adedamola Fryo as the purported PDP candidate for the 2026 governorship election. They dismissed the entire process as fraudulent and warned Mr Fryo against presenting himself as the party’s flag bearer.
They added that such posturing would constitute “criminal impersonation” and amount to a direct provocation against leaders and members of the PDP in Osun, who, according to them, have remained calm in the face of escalating acts of political interference.
The caucus also reflected on the growing tensions within the South-west PDP, noting that Mr Makinde’s alleged high-handedness in recent months had unsettled party members across the region. They referenced a Yoruba proverb, advising that “a man accused of being a thief does not go near the villagers’ chickens pretending to be dancing in the nighttime.”
“The Governor should stop laying credence to those who have accused him of being a serial traitor and power-monger,” they said.
They cautioned Mr Makinde against attempting to export the culture of impunity, suppression and arbitrary decision-making, which they claim has become normalised in Oyo’s PDP chapter.
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They also emphasised that Osun is governed by a leader committed to inclusive decision-making, and warned that any attempt to force an external agenda on the state’s PDP would be firmly resisted.
Reaffirming their positions as national stakeholders and leaders of the party from Osun, the lawmakers reiterated their allegiance to the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the PDP Constitution.
They described these documents as the only legitimate frameworks for conducting party primaries and selecting candidates ahead of the 2026 elections.
The caucus urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disregard what they called the “phoney results” of the alleged primaries and to comply strictly with the law in recognising any aspirant or candidate from Osun.
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