According to them, Makinde's declaration that he will not support Atiku is his business and does not change the position of the generality of the party members, leaders and stakeholders.
Some leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State have disagreed with Governor Seyi Makinde on his stand against Atiku Abubakar, the party's presidential candidate.
According to them, Makinde's declaration that he will not support Atiku is his business and does not change the position of the generality of the party members, leaders and stakeholders.
During a live radio programme last weekend, Makinde said he and other aggrieved members of the PDP will not work for Atiku, the presidential candidate of their party ahead of next year's election.
On the radio programme, Makinde said a northerner cannot spend eight years in office and give power to another northerner.
The incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is a northerner. Atiku is also a northerner. Some members of the PDP had asked the party to zone its presidential slot to the South for fairness, but the party threw it open, leading to Atiku’s victory in the party's presidential primary election in May.
Atiku's victory has however thrown the party into a crisis as Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, one of the contestants who lost to Atiku in the primary election accused the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu of working against him to ensure Atiku’s victory.
Wike, Makinde and some other governors subsequently asked Ayu to resign from office to give room for a southerner to replace him but he has refused to do so.
They argued that both the national chairman and the presidential candidate of the party should not come from the North.
But speaking at an emergency meeting of the leaders of the party from the 33 local government areas of the state, a former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Elder Wole Oyelese and another chieftain of the party, Engr. Femi Babalola in separate remarks said Makinde was not speaking for the party in the state but speaking for himself.
Oyelese said PDP leaders would work and deliver the state for Atiku in 2023.
He said, "A good politician would not speak like that. For Makinde to say he would not work for Atiku doesn't mean anything. He is on his own! It is an empty threat! If he said we should not vote for Atiku, who are we voting for?
"We are too sophisticated for that in Oyo state. Makinde is a newcomer in Oyo state politics but we shall continue to work for our party. However, we are working for Atiku in a special way. My advice for any politician who wants to win in Oyo state is to come to the mainstream. Mainstream is the leadership of the party in the state.
"What is the position of Yoruba on this matter that Makinde is talking about? We don't have a position. Baba Fasoranti is saying something and Baba Adebanjo is saying another thing. We are not having a position in Yoruba land. Our members remain steadfast and committed. This is our party and we cannot allow it to break down."
Babalola, popularly known as Jogor, said Makinde is also guilty of the points he raised against Atiku.
He said, "He that comes to equity must come with clean hands. As an engineer, I analyse issues. The first question I asked myself was, is it good for a northerner to take over from a northerner? And another question is that is it good for an Ibadan man to take over from an Ibadan man that spent eight years? So, for Makinde that benefited from such, why is he now antagonising another person? He didn't see anything that is wrong with that but when it is Atiku, it is wrong.
"Also, did he distribute key positions equitably? Key positions were appointed from the governor's local government area, Ibadan North East; the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the Commissioner for Finance, Commissioner for Local Government and the only PDP Senator in Oyo are all from Ibadan North East. He is now speaking of equity; that should not come from him.
"We are for Atiku and we are for the PDP. You can see leaders and stakeholders across the 33 local governments here, and we are all ready to win Oyo state for our presidential candidate."