2027 Strategy: Makinde Meets Kwankwaso as PDP Reconciliation Stalls

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed have held separate meetings with key opposition figures, even as efforts to resolve the leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party appear to have hit a stalemate.

On Sunday, Governor Makinde and Governor Mohammed, who also chairs the PDP Governors’ Forum, met with Senator Seriake Dickson, the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, in Bauchi. Later, Makinde and Dickson travelled to Kano, where they joined former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi at the annual Dandalin Kwankwasiyya event.

While the gathering was officially framed as part of Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, sources close to Kwankwaso indicated that high-level political consultations regarding the 2027 elections were also on the agenda.

The meetings come amid deepening divisions within the PDP, which has been split into two factions following nearly a year of internal turmoil.

One faction, backed by the PDP governors, held a convention in Ibadan in November, where Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN) was elected to lead a new National Working Committee. The other faction, loyal to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, established a National Caretaker Working Committee in December.

On March 9, the Court of Appeal nullified the Ibadan convention, ruling that the process violated the Electoral Act, the Constitution, and the PDP’s own guidelines. The appellate court also encouraged both parties to explore an amicable resolution.

Speaking on the state of reconciliation, Governor Makinde said any collaboration with Wike’s camp amounted to aligning with President Bola Tinubu ahead of 2027. He noted that his faction has the support of the people, while the opposing camp enjoys the backing of government institutions.

Governor Bala Mohammed, however, struck a more conciliatory tone, expressing optimism that disagreements within the party could still be resolved through dialogue.

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the Wike-backed caretaker committee, Jungudo Mohammed, told reporters in Abuja that the faction’s planned national convention would proceed as scheduled on March 29 and 30. He accused the Turaki-led group of attempting to obtain a court injunction to halt the event.

In response, the National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-backed faction, Ini Ememobong, dismissed the allegations as blackmail. He said his group remained committed to reconciliation and urged the opposing faction to engage in meaningful dialogue instead of pursuing what he described as divisive actions.