Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has stated that he is unwilling to engage in political mudslinging, emphasizing that his focus remains on uniting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and regaining the trust of Nigerians.
Makinde made the remarks on Thursday while addressing journalists after the South-West Zoning Consultative Summit of the PDP, held in Lagos.
“Personally, when people go low or go into the gutters, I don’t go with them. Some people are now going into the gutters. We will reach out to them. That is democracy.
I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here. It should be about what we are giving to Nigerians because they are watching,” he said.
The governor insisted that the PDP remains a formidable force, despite recent challenges, pointing to the party’s performance in recent elections.
“In all our states, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead. In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second. It is an indication to us that if we continue to work hard, we can reclaim the confidence of Nigerians,” Makinde added.
On the issue of zoning the party’s presidential ticket to the South, the governor maintained that the PDP was not at that stage yet.
“We haven’t even gotten there. We need to have a party first before you start talking about presidential candidates. If we don’t have a party, anything you are trying to do will fall flat.
Our efforts right now are directed towards having a vibrant and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and believe in again,” he said.
The Lagos summit was attended by top PDP leaders, including Board of Trustees Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri (who also chairs the party’s zoning committee), Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, Enugu State Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, former Osun Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Bode George, and Monsurat Sunmonu.
Also present were 12 of the 17 PDP National Assembly members and other key stakeholders from across the South.
