Hazeem Gbolarumi, a former deputy governor of Oyo State, has criticized Governor Seyi Makinde for choosing his successor on his own without engaging the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members.
According to Naija News, Gbolarumi cautioned that imposing a successor could alienate important stakeholders when hosting members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Oyo State Correspondents’ Chapel, chaired by Yinka Adeniran, during an Iftar gathering in Ibadan.
He questioned, “Does he want to shut us out politically?”
The PDP mainstay, who is part of the group that supports Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, claimed that his relationship with Makinde had previously been friendly and that many locals were taken aback by their falling out.
Gbolarumi claims that despite Makinde’s own stated desire in running for governor in 2027, their quarrel started when he revealed plans to name a successor without first engaging party leaders.
Gbolarumi added that local government chairs, commissioners, and special advisers were appointed without consulting party stakeholders.
“He is expected to engage PDP leaders in the state before making such a decision,” he emphasized.
Gbolarumi, who identified as one of the PDP’s founding members in Oyo State, stated that Makinde’s election as governor in 2019 was made possible by the party, which development party officials sincerely approved.
“It would be wrong before God for me to not speak the truth,” he declared.
He expressed hope that the PDP will soon rejoin and underlined that the situation should be viewed as a conflict of political objectives rather than a personal rivalry.
“For now, our faction is in control of the party structure in the state,” he continued.
