Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday declared that he would not “go low with anyone who decides to go into the gutters.”
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists after the South-West zoning consultative summit of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos.
“Personally, when people go low or go into the gutters, I don’t go with them. Some people are now going into the gutters. We will reach out to them. That is democracy,” Makinde said.
He added, “I can disagree with people, but it shouldn’t be personal. It should be about what we are giving to Nigerians because they are watching.”
Makinde also expressed optimism about the party’s strength, noting that recent elections demonstrated that the PDP remained a formidable force. “In all our states, last Saturday showed that PDP is not dead. In most of the 12 states, PDP came second. It is an indication that if we continue to work hard, we can reclaim the confidence of Nigerians,” he said.
On the question of zoning the PDP presidential ticket to the South, Makinde said the party was not at that stage yet. “We haven’t even gotten there. We need to have a party first before talking about presidential candidates. If we don’t have a party, anything you are trying to do will fall flat. Our efforts right now are directed towards having a vibrant and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and believe in again,” he said.
Dignitaries at the summit included PDP Board of Trustees Chairman Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the party’s National Zoning Committee and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, Enugu State Governor Peter Mba (represented by his deputy Ifeanyi Ossai), former Osun Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Bode George, and Monsurat Sunmonu.
The event also saw the participation of 12 of the 17 PDP National Assembly members and key party stakeholders from southern states.
