Former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Elder Wole Oyelese, has advised governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to retrace his steps over his opposition to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku.
Oyelese made this disclosure on Wednesday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Recall that Makinde and other five governors have pledged not to support Atiku.
The five governors, known as G5, insisted that they were not happy with Atiku because the national chairman of PDP, Senator Iyorcha Ayu is also from the northern region where Atiku came from.
According to him: “Makinde should retreat now so that he can fight in another day. Politics is not a do-or-die affair. It is not difficult to see that this time around, Atiku is God’s own project and he should be part of it.”
He further stated: “The governor is surrounded by many people, who cannot tell him the truth to let him know that a lot of damage has been done to the party. There is a lot of work to be done if PDP is to remain in power in Oyo State.”
He noted that the coalition that brought Governor Seyi Makinde to power is gone. “Most leaders and gatekeepers of the party are either gone or alienated. His colleague governors like Wike and others have nothing to lose because they have concluded their two terms in office and laid the foundation for their successors.”
Oyelese further avowed that: “Atiku is the only presidential candidate imbued with leadership qualities and technical know-how to restore the lost glory of the nation and salvage Nigeria’s ship heading for the rocks.”