2027: Makinde, Kwankwaso hold strategic talks as PDP crisis deepens

Fresh political realignments may be underway ahead of the 2027 general elections as Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, met with key opposition figures including former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, amid a worsening crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party.

Makinde, alongside Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, initially held a closed-door meeting with Senator Seriake Dickson in Bauchi on Sunday before proceeding to Kano for further consultations.

In Kano, the duo joined Kwankwaso, as well as the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, at the 10th edition of the Dandalin Kwankwasiyya, a major political gathering of the movement’s loyalists.

Although officially described as an Eid-el-Fitr visit, sources familiar with the meeting said it formed part of ongoing high-level consultations and alliance-building ahead of the next presidential election cycle.

The development comes as reconciliation efforts within the PDP appear to have stalled, particularly between the governors’ bloc and a faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The party has been embroiled in a prolonged leadership crisis, splitting into rival factions. While the governors’ camp previously conducted a convention in Ibadan that produced a National Working Committee led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, the Wike-backed faction constituted a separate caretaker committee to steer the party’s affairs.

However, the Court of Appeal recently nullified the Ibadan convention, ruling that it violated provisions of the Electoral Act, the Constitution, and the PDP’s internal guidelines, thereby deepening the leadership tussle.

Tensions escalated further on Sunday as both camps traded accusations over the upcoming national convention scheduled for March 29 and 30.

A spokesperson for the Wike-backed caretaker committee accused the governors’ camp of plotting to derail the convention through legal action, warning that such moves could destabilise the party.

But the Turaki-aligned faction dismissed the allegation as blackmail, insisting it remained committed to reconciliation and dialogue.

Speaking on the crisis, Makinde distanced his camp from Wike, alleging that aligning with the FCT minister would amount to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to him, any engagement with Wike’s group would signal endorsement of the ruling party, a position he said his camp rejects.

In contrast, Bala Mohammed adopted a more conciliatory tone, emphasising that no political disagreement is beyond resolution and reaffirming ongoing efforts to reconcile aggrieved factions within the party.

Despite the public disagreements, insiders say the flurry of meetings across Bauchi and Kano signals intensifying political manoeuvring, with opposition leaders exploring possible alliances and strategies that could reshape the 2027 electoral contest.

The outcome of these consultations, observers note, could determine the future direction of the PDP and the broader opposition landscape in Nigeria.