Atiku’s Exit Won’t Hurt PDP – Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has dismissed concerns that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will negatively impact the party.

Speaking as the keynote speaker at the 10th Coronation Anniversary Colloquium of Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, Deji of Akure, Makinde said the PDP is an institution with open membership, and individual departures do not weaken it.

“I don’t think that will make any dent on PDP as a party. PDP is an institution and you have freedom of entrance and exit,” Makinde told reporters.

He also downplayed the threat posed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as just another political party competing in elections alongside the PDP.

During the event, themed “The Role of Nigeria’s Traditional Institutions in Nation Building: Impediments, Impacts, and Prospects,” Makinde praised traditional institutions as vital pillars of identity, legitimacy, and community cohesion in Nigeria.

“Long before formal administrative systems took root, traditional rulers dispensed justice, upheld values, coordinated local security, and united communities. Today, they remain custodians of grassroots trust, and nation-building that ignores them does so at its peril,” he said.

Makinde called on the government to accord traditional institutions due respect and incorporate them into governance frameworks for national development.

His administration has reportedly taken deliberate steps to integrate traditional rulers into governance, a move he credited with the successes recorded in Oyo State.

He further stressed that nation-building is less about resource wealth and more about strengthening institutions that serve the people effectively and leave a lasting legacy.

Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, the Deji of Akure, echoed the sentiment, urging constitutional recognition and empowerment of traditional institutions for their crucial role in nation-building.

The monarch praised the unity in Akure and expressed gratitude for the support from the state government and indigenes to the Deji’s palace.