A former deputy governor of Oyo State, Hazeem Gbolarumi, has attributed the growing rift between him and Governor Seyi Makinde to what he described as the governor’s alleged plan to single-handedly determine his successor without broad consultation with party stakeholders.
Gbolarumi made the claim while hosting members of the Oyo State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by its Chairman, Yinka Adeniran, at an Iftar gathering in Ibadan.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, who is aligned with the political bloc loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, said his relationship with Makinde had previously been cordial. According to him, the apparent strain between them had surprised many residents of the state.
He explained that the disagreement began when the governor indicated his intention to announce a preferred successor without extensive consultation with party leaders, despite his own interest in contesting the governorship position.
Gbolarumi argued that such an approach runs contrary to the established political culture within the party, which traditionally involves consultations with stakeholders before key decisions are taken.
“He is expected to sit down with PDP leaders in the state for proper consultation on such a critical matter,” he said. “If you look at the composition of commissioners, special advisers and local government chairmen, there was little or no input from party leaders.”
The former deputy governor, who described himself as one of the founding members of the PDP in Oyo State, stressed that the party provided the platform through which Makinde emerged as governor in 2019, adding that party leaders had accepted Makinde’s emergence in good faith at the time.
However, he expressed concern that any attempt to impose a successor could marginalise long-standing party stakeholders.
“Does he want to shut us out politically?” Gbolarumi queried.
He also criticised Makinde’s frequent assertion that he has no political godfather, insisting that political leadership is rarely achieved without the support and contributions of others.
“I have told him that I do not subscribe to that principle. There were individuals whom God used in his emergence as governor,” he said.
Despite the disagreement, Gbolarumi downplayed the situation, describing it as a clash of political interests rather than a personal feud.
He expressed optimism that the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State would eventually resolve its internal differences.
“For now, our faction is in control of the party structure in the state,” he added.
Also present at the event were members of the newly inaugurated PDP executive aligned with the Wike faction, led by its chairman, Prof. Raham Akinoso.
Earlier, Adeniran commended Gbolarumi for his sustained support for the union and assured him that the Correspondents’ Chapel would continue to provide fair and balanced coverage of political developments in Oyo State.
