Makinde defection 'conspiracy to split Southern votes' for 2027 — Analyst

Prof Okey Ikechukwu, Executive Director of Development Specs Academy, claims Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde's defection to Allied Peoples Movement (APM) is a conspiracy to split Southern votes in next year's 2027 general elections.

Ikechukwu made the statement Thursday on Arise Television, reacting to Makinde's defection to APM and subsequent presidential declaration. 'Makinde defecting to the APM is a conspiracy to split Southern votes,' he asserted, noting that the People's Democratic Party (PDP) is so factionalized it 'can't say which is the PDP.'

The analyst predicts PDP 'will not be a national force' in 2027 and may not field a presidential candidate, or if it does, it would be solely to split votes. This comes as political parties position themselves for the 2027 presidential race.

Will Makinde's APM candidacy divide Southern opposition votes or create a viable third alternative to established parties?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/05/15/2027-makinde-defection-conspiracy-to-split-southern-votes-ikechukwu/