Deborah Akinyosoye
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said his recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu was focused strictly on governance and national interest, stressing that the president serves all Nigerians, not just members of any political party.
Speaking with journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after the meeting, Makinde said the discussions centred on critical governance challenges facing the country.
“The President is the President of Nigeria, not the President of the APC, and we are talking about governance,” he said. “So I came to discuss with the President on some governance issues, basically.”
Addressing speculation that the visit signaled a new political alignment or improved relations between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Makinde dismissed such claims. He noted that cross-party cooperation has always existed on matters of national importance.
“There’s nothing I have said in the past that suggests we are not enjoying a harmonious relationship,” he said. “Politics is politics. We belong to different political parties, but Nigeria is a project that all Nigerians must be concerned about.”
Makinde emphasised that issues such as insecurity, poverty alleviation, and citizen welfare transcend partisan politics and require collaboration among leaders at all levels of government.
“These are governance issues that have no party coloration,” Makinde said. “As leaders, whether President or governor, we must work together, consult one another, and ensure that we can make life better for our people.”
On speculation that he might consider defecting to the APC, following the recent movement of some PDP members to the ruling party, Makinde firmly ruled out such a move.
“No,” he said. “I am comfortable in the PDP.”
He acknowledged that Nigeria may at times require a bipartisan approach to solving national challenges but stressed that such cooperation should not be mistaken for partisan realignment.
“There are situations where it cannot be APC alone or PDP alone,” he explained. “When you get to that junction, you need everybody on board to determine the best way forward in the interest of our nation.”
Makinde restated his commitment to constructive engagement with the Federal Government where necessary while remaining firmly rooted in his party and focused on delivering good governance to the people of Oyo State.