Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said he will not accept to be the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum.
The Governor disclosed this on Saturday in Abia State where he commissioned two road projects.
Makinde was reacting to reports that he was appointed the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, following the resignation of the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal from the position.
The Oyo State Governor said he was not aware of the appointment. Although Governor Tambuwal has since denied the reports of his resignation.
Makinde stressed that he was not informed by the party’s national leadership and that he got to know about it through social media.
He queried his purported appointment, saying that he was not even the right person to take the reins of leadership of the PDP body of governors should the chairman resign.
According to him, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who was the deputy chairman of the forum, was the right person to take over from Tambuwal and not him.
“Even if they give it to me, I will not accept it because there must be an order. Ikpeazu is the deputy chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
“If the chairman resigns, the deputy chairman will take over the position. This is how to have an order in the process,” he said.
The governor also pointed out that occupying the chairmanship position of the forum was “not what we are fighting for.”
Given the rancour in the PDP, the Oyo State governor said it would be impossible for the party to restructure Nigeria if it could not restructure itself.
“We are saying that if the PDP has promised to restructure Nigeria and we can’t restructure the party, then we are not ready to restructure Nigeria”, he said.
Makinde is one of the governors in the camp of Rivers State Governor Nyesome Wike, calling for balancing party positions between the northern and southern parts of the country as stipulated in the PDP constitution.
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom; Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Governor Ikpeazu are also members of the Wike camp.
The Wike camp has vowed never to lose its guard until the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, resigned from his position for a southerner to take over.
