Makinde open to Wike alliance but rules out Tinubu collaboration for 2027

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, now Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate for 2027, says he can work with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike but rejects any collaboration with President Bola Tinubu. Makinde disclosed this during an exclusive Arise Television interview aired Friday, describing his rift with Wike as a "breach of trust" over a decision he wasn't comfortable with, while calling his differences with Tinubu more fundamental.

The statement signals shifting political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections. Makinde was part of the G-5 governors who opposed the PDP's presidential candidate in 2023 alongside Wike, but the two fell out after the election. Now Makinde positions Wike as a potential partner while drawing a hard line against the sitting president—a notable dynamic given Wike's role in Tinubu's cabinet.

Makinde frames his 2027 bid as a mission to "liberate Nigerians," though his APM platform lacks the national structure of APC or PDP. The Wike-Tinubu tension within the administration has been an open secret; Makinde's public calculus—Wike as manageable, Tinubu as non-negotiable—could influence opposition coalition talks in the coming months.

With 18 months until the election, the real question isn't who Makinde will work with, but whether any opposition figure can build a viable national coalition. Will Makinde's APM gain traction beyond Oyo, or is this positioning for a future negotiation?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/11/13/i-can-work-with-wike-but-not-tinubu-makinde/