2027: Makinde vows opposition won’t give up on democracy

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state and a factional leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday vowed to continue his ongoing mobilisation of opposition group, in an action geared towards saving Nigeria’s democracy

…As party inaugurates 13-member Interim Management Committee

Makinde, speaking with journalists after attending the 103rd National Executive Committee NEC of the party, described the current political situation in the country as “an unusual situation democratically”.

“I think what I can say right now is we will not give up. This is a battle, you know, for democracy, for plurality in Nigeria’s democratic space. So we will not give up. We will keep pushing on.”

The meeting, which was summoned by the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), headed by Adulphos Wabara, also inaugurated a 13-member Interim National Working Committee (INWC) to steer party affairs.

Makinde also berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the handling of the Supreme Court judgment affecting the party.

He stated that INEC has been hasty in its response, despite the fact that the Court was yet to release the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment.

“Nobody has seen the CTC. Maybe it will be out today. We were even surprised, you know, at INEC, that they went ahead to update the ADC leadership on their website because nobody has seen the certified true copy of the judgment itself. So I do not understand how a national institution, you know, will be hasty—will go ahead and update those data without even seeing the judgment.”

“It is concerning to us because what it means is somebody can whisper a court judgment and then they will go ahead on their website and update that. I don’t think that is how an organisation that is being professionally run should operate. Those are some of the challenges that we have that we have to keep confronting.”

Makinde, while also speaking on the legality of the new INMC, said it is justified as the party had in attendance two-thirds of the NEC members.

“If you go to the constitution of PDP, you know who your NEC members are by that constitution, and two-thirds of that membership came here. So it is legally constituted.

He disclosed that the party will write to INEC, adding that “we do hope that they will do their work, you know, and allow the democratic space to accommodate opposition.”

The INMC headed by Tanimu Turaki as Chairman, while Taofik Arapaja will serve as Secretary. Other members include Hamza Kosher, Daniel Woyengikuro, Richard Nnabugwu, Isa Abubakar and Okechukwu Obiechina.

Others are Dakas Shan, Ini Ememobong, Aribisala Idowu, Bara’u Shafii, Antonia Ogbu and Umar Aji