Makinde Says He Won’t “Go Low” with Those Who Enter Political Gutters

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared that he will not “go low with anyone who decides to go into the gutters.”

Speaking to journalists after the South-West zoning consultative summit of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos on Thursday, Makinde said, “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. I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here. It should be about what we are giving to Nigerians because they are watching.”

The governor noted that despite challenges, recent elections demonstrated that the PDP remains a strong political force. “In all our states, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead. In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second. It is an indication to us that if we continue to work hard, we can reclaim the confidence of Nigerians,” he said.

On the topic of zoning the PDP presidential ticket to the South, Makinde said the party has not reached that stage. “We haven’t even gotten there. We need to have a party first before you start 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 added.

The summit was attended by key PDP figures, including Board of Trustees Chairman Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the party’s National Zoning Committee and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri; Governors Ademola Adeleke of Osun and Peter Mba of Enugu (represented by his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai); former Osun Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Bode George; Monsurat Sunmonu; 12 of the 17 PDP National Assembly members; and other stakeholders from across southern states.