Former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola has blamed the Peoples Democratic Party’s continuing crisis on members he says are working against unity, while insisting the party can recover. In an interview on Wednesday, November 4, he also said FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is not his political leader.
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Key Highlights
- Oyinlola says he does not regard Wike as his political leader in the PDP.
- He said Wike was still in school while Oyinlola served as Lagos military governor from 1993 to 1996.
- Oyinlola denied being part of the Rainbow coalition.
- He said former President Olusegun Obasanjo has tried to rebuild the PDP but faces resistance within the party.
- Oyinlola maintains that the PDP can regain strength if members unite.
Oyinlola says Wike is not his political leader
Asked whether Wike was his leader in the PDP, Oyinlola rejected the description and said the FCT minister could be considered his political “boy.” He recalled that Wike was still a student during Oyinlola’s tenure as Lagos military governor from 1993 to 1996.
Oyinlola made the remarks during Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on November 4. The broadcaster’s coverage of the interview also reported his views on the 2027 presidential race.
Oyinlola denies joining Wike’s Rainbow coalition
Oyinlola said he had not been invited to join the political arrangement described as the “Rainbow” coalition and said he did not know what the name referred to beyond the natural phenomenon.
The Rainbow coalition is a cross-party platform associated with Wike that is mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. Channels Television has reported Wike’s comments on the coalition.
Obasanjo has tried to rebuild PDP, Oyinlola says
On the PDP’s internal crisis, Oyinlola said he remained in contact with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He said Obasanjo had been trying to re-engineer the party, but alleged that some members were working against those efforts.
Oyinlola said the PDP was not dead and argued that its presence across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas could help it recover if members resolved their differences and worked together.
His comments come amid disputes over the PDP’s leadership and the participation of party figures in cross-party political arrangements ahead of the 2027 elections.
Read also:
- Wike Defends Rainbow Coalition, Says Critics Cannot Unite Their Families as APC, PDP Leaders Back Tinubu
- Appeal Court Rejects PDP Interim Leadership, Upholds Ruling Against Turaki’s NWC
- Wike Dismisses ASUU Strike Threat Over Reallocation of University of Abuja Land
Oyinlola’s support for Oyebamiji in Osun
In August, Oyinlola backed APC governorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji in Osun State. Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, then associated with the PDP, went on to win re-election on the Accord Party platform.
Oyinlola attributed his support for Oyebamiji to turbulence within the PDP at the national level. His latest remarks again point to divisions within the opposition party as political activity builds ahead of 2027.
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