‘I Am Not Moved’, Makinde Reacts To PDP Defections, Warns Against One-Party State

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has stated that he remained unfazed by the wave of defections currently affecting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He warned that efforts to weaken opposition parties could lead Nigeria towards a one-party system with grave consequences for democracy and national stability.

Governor Makinde made the remarks while reacting specifically to the recent defections from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday at the Government House in Ibadan during a media chat.

He stressed that political developments should be viewed beyond narrow partisan interests and through the broader lens of Nigeria’s democratic foundations.
“We have to rise above partisanship, and this may go into the issue of PDP. People are saying everybody has decamped, and I am saying I am not moved,” the governor said.

He argued that Nigeria’s political system was carefully negotiated to reflect the country’s diversity, noting that federalism and multi-party democracy are central to the nation’s unity and survival.

“People who negotiated Nigeria negotiated federalism and multi-party democracy,” Makinde said, adding that current political trends appear to be undermining those core principles.

“Now they are moving the country towards a one-party state, and I am saying it won’t work.”

To further explain the essence of federalism and national cohesion, the governor cited a symbolic cultural experience during a visit to Ebonyi State, where he was presented with kola nuts as a sign of respect.
“They brought kola to me when I visited Ebonyi and told me it’s because I am an important visitor,” Makinde said.

“And I told them that kola is grown in the North, eaten in the West and literally respected in the East, so that is federalism.”

Makinde warned that a one-party political arrangement would weaken democratic engagement and leave the country ill-prepared to address complex national issues that require cooperation across party lines.

“If you move the party towards a one-party state, what happens the day you require a bipartisan approach to an issue? What will you do?” he asked.

He further cautioned that suppressing political plurality could trigger widespread discontent, drawing parallels with the Arab Spring uprisings, where the absence of trusted leadership led to mass unrest.

“If you turn the country into a one-party state, then what happened during the Arab Spring will happen. When people don’t have a leader, they will look for one,” the governor warned.