ABUJA — Former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has firmly rejected claims framing Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that Wike lacks the political pedigree to hold such status over him.
Speaking during a current affairs interview on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, the retired military general and former PDP National Secretary emphasized that while he remains a committed member of the party, he does not recognize the FCT Minister as its leader.
“Nobody has invited me to any rainbow coalition. I don’t know the meaning of rainbow except the one I know,” Oyinlola stated, referring to political structures aligned with the ruling party. “He is not my leader. You don’t say that kind of thing. Yes, I am a member of the PDP, but he is not my leader. When I was governor in Lagos, where was he? He was in school. So, he doesn’t qualify to be my leader. He’s my boy.”
Addressing the ongoing internal crisis within the main opposition party, Oyinlola disclosed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other elder statesmen have made deliberate attempts to re-engineer and unite the PDP’s organizational framework. However, he noted that such recovery efforts continue to face resistance from internal factions working to destabilize the party from within.
Despite the structural friction, Oyinlola expressed optimism regarding the party’s future, asserting that the PDP retains deep organizational roots across all 774 local government areas in Nigeria and possesses the institutional weight to reclaim its political strength if members resolve their internal disputes.
