Governor of Oyo State Seyi Makinde has said former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, goofed by saying his party, would rule the nation beyond 2023.
The governor spoke at a well-attended inauguration of the zonal executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South West, at the Government House, Oke-Oyinbo, Agodi, Ibadan, yesterday.
Tinubu on Tuesday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, said the APC is loved by Nigerians and the party has bright chances of ruling the country beyond 2023.
However, Makinde, who is the only PDP governor in the South West, said it would never happen.
“It is time for PDP at the national level to put together a committee to start making zoning of positions for the party nationally. This is end of April and the current national committee has up till December, and we have the national elections that will come up in less than two years from now. Our party at the national level must show leadership. We must show entire country that we are ready to take power back at the centre.
“I read in the newspaper that the National Leader of APC, said APC will be in power beyond 2023. It is a big lie. Let them hear that from this South West PDP congress, the redemption of Nigeria has started. Nigerians are tired of all the misgovernance of APC at the national level. Is it insecurity? Is it economic meltdown? Is it aloofness of the entire leadership of the government at the national level?
“We in the PDP, starting from South West, we are ready to provide leadership for our country.”
Makinde also tasked the newly inaugurated zonal executive under the leadership of the National Vice Chairman, South West, Taofeek Arapaja, to be focused and ensure PDP wins the governorship elections that will hold in 2022 in Ekiti and Osun states. He added that the zonal executive should also reconcile the aggrieved members of the party.
The governor also noted that the politicking that took place before the zonal congress that produced the Arapaja-led zonal executive was not meant for one party to defeat the other.
According to him, the whole process was to produce the best for the party and the best has emerged.
Arapaja, in his address, promised the zonal executive would discharge its roles with sincerity of purpose, be guided by the constitution for optimum functioning, and would also ensure justice and fairness.
