Makinde to PDP: ‘Let’s Have a Fair Fight’ Ahead of Ibadan Showdown
By: Abudu Olalekan
There is a small scene worth paying attention to: delegates filing out of an Oyo State hall, handshake here, a nod there, no shouting, no chairs thrown. It happened recently. Governor Seyi Makinde noticed it, and he wrote about it on Thursday evening in a short newsletter. Not a speech, more like a plain note. He said that if that calm can be repeated on a bigger stage, the party will be better for it.
The Peoples Democratic Party will hold its national elective convention in Ibadan on November 15 and 16. Nineteen members of the national working committee will be chosen. For many, that’s just numbers. For Makinde, it’s a turning point. He argues the convention should be built on three things: fair rules, real debate, and inclusiveness. Simple. Clear. Non-negotiable, he implies.
Why does he care? Because 2027 is not far. Because parties who sort themselves out early have a better shot at presenting a united face to voters. Because injuries from inner fights leave scars that last. He points to the Oyo congress — conducted without rancour, he said — as evidence that peaceful, competitive politics can happen. He called it a win. And he urged the party to guard the momentum.
Short sentences now. They carry weight. It must be fair. It must include everyone. Let people argue, yes. But don’t let debates turn to destruction. He puts it plainly: ambition is normal. But ambition must be channelled. Into policy. Into outreach. Into better organising. Not into bitter personal battles.
The PDP’s 101st national executive committee meeting, convened on July 24, already framed the convention as a pathway to restructure and reposition the party. That language sounds formal. But underneath is a basic idea: a convention is not just a ritual. It’s a chance to reshape how the party works, who speaks, whose voice counts. Makinde wants that chance used to strengthen internal democracy, not weaken it.
Now the sceptics will ask: will it happen? Fair question. Old grievances don’t vanish because someone writes a newsletter. Power brokering is as old as politics. Some folks will still scheme. Some will still whisper. But consider this: when people leave a local congress without being bruised, when losers accept results and winners don’t gloat, trust builds. It’s fragile. But it grows.
Makinde’s message mixes the sober and the conversational. Sometimes he writes like a governor — careful, procedural. Sometimes he sounds like a neighbour saying, let’s be decent. That blend matters. It softens a warning and turns it into a plea: for dignity, for order, for respect in political contest.
There are clear stakes. If Ibadan is managed with openness and respect, the PDP could come out looking renewed, steadier and presentable ahead of 2027. If it’s handled poorly, the cycle of recrimination resumes and the party wastes time selling its house from within.
Beyond the headlines, the real test will be procedural. Who chairs committees. How votes are tallied. Who sets the order of business. Zoning disputes may flare. Youth and women representation will be watched closely. Those technical things look boring. They are not. They decide who gets a platform and who is sidelined. If the processes pass the smell test, credibility follows. If not, lawsuits and long grudges may be next. Its politics. Expect both.
He didn’t offer a long blueprint. He offered principles. Fair processes. Open debate. Inclusivity. Respect. Short, but not shallow. That’s the ask. And it’s a reasonable ask, really. Politics can be more than noise. It can be a contest of ideas. With discipline. With dignity. If that sounds hopeful — maybe that’s the point.
