Fayose Blames Makinde for Deepening of PDP Party Crisis

Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose deepened the Peoples Democratic Party’s post-election crisis on Tuesday by blaming the party’s poor showing in the June 20 Ekiti governorship election on Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, saying the PDP had messed up in Ekiti and that Makinde bore primary responsibility for the outcome.

Fayose made the remarks in a media interview on Channels Television, days after the PDP candidate Oluwole Oluyede polled only 40,543 votes against APC winner Biodun Oyebanji’s 319,224, one of the most lopsided results in Ekiti’s electoral history. Fayose said Makinde’s controversial handling of the school abduction crisis in Oyo had damaged the PDP’s image in the South-West.

Makinde Camp Fires Back

Makinde’s allies immediately rejected Fayose’s characterisation, saying the former governor had himself caused enormous damage to the PDP’s Ekiti campaign with his earlier television allegation that Makinde had orchestrated the school abduction to embarrass President Tinubu. The Makinde camp said Fayose’s irresponsible statement had embarrassed the party, distracted the campaign, and given the APC a propaganda gift in the days before the election.

PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba urged party members to focus on reviewing the election results constructively rather than engaging in blame-trading that would benefit the APC. He said the party’s national leadership was conducting a full review of the Ekiti exercise and would present its findings and recommendations through appropriate internal channels.

PDP Faces Structural Questions

However, analysts said the Fayose-Makinde row reflected deeper structural problems within the PDP, including a lack of internal cohesion, competing power centres, and an inability to present unified campaigns in key states. Furthermore, the PDP’s failure to field a credible candidate with the resources and grassroots structures to challenge a well-funded and federally backed incumbent highlighted the party’s weakening capacity for competitive electoral politics. Still, the PDP said it remained the principal opposition party and would contest the Ekiti result through the tribunals. Consequently, the party is simultaneously managing legal proceedings, internal accusations, and preparations for the August Osun governorship election.