Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has revealed why he declined his appointment as the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) committee for ward congresses in Edo State.
He has cited late notification and prior state engagements as reasons for his decision.
In a letter addressed to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), Makinde explained that he received the notification of his appointment on Friday, February 2nd, for a congress scheduled for the following day, February 3rd. This short notice, according to the governor, prevented him from properly reviewing the actions taken by the party’s Directorate of Organisation before his appointment and posed a scheduling conflict with existing state commitments.
“While I appreciate the NWC’s nomination for this crucial role,” Makinde stated in the letter, “the late notification and my prior commitments make it impossible for me to accept the appointment.”
The National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Umar Bature, confirmed receipt of Makinde’s letter and acknowledged the governor’s reasons for declining. Bature reminded aggrieved aspirants about the established grievance procedures outlined in the party’s electoral guidelines.
Governor Godwin Obaseki, while lamenting Makinde’s absence, maintained that the congress’s validity was not affected. Meanwhile, nine out of eleven PDP aspirants for the 2024 Edo State governorship election chose not to participate in the congress.
