Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Tuesday stirred controversy at the commissioning of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Ibadan, where he openly described the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as a “vagabond.” The governor said the Oyo PDP would not allow external forces to destabilise its structure or hijack its affairs.
Speaking before party leaders and supporters, Makinde used a Yoruba proverb to criticise individuals he described as disruptive elements within the party. He said such figures dominated the PDP after it lost federal power in 2015 and engaged in what he termed “vagabondry” for nearly a decade before being expelled from the party in 2025.
Makinde questioned Wike’s moral authority to intervene in PDP matters in Oyo State, asking what the former Rivers State governor had done to strengthen the party in his own state. He added that the Oyo PDP remains united, focused and determined to chart its own course without interference.
The governor also admitted that he was once aligned with Wike’s faction but said he had since distanced himself from that camp. He stressed that the PDP in Oyo State is now repositioned ahead of future elections, declaring that there is “no more vagabond” within the party as it moves forward.