Atiku’s Exit Will Not Make Any Dent On PDP - Makinde Says

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has stated that the departure of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will not pose any setback for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Atiku resigned his membership of the PDP in Adamawa on Wednesday.

Makinde, who was the keynote Speaker at a colloquium to mark the 10th Coronation Anniversary of Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, Deji of Akure, stated this in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Akure.

“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,” he said.

The governor said that he did not see the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a threat to the PDP, but rather as a mere political party intended to contest elections alongside the PDP.

Earlier, Makinde described traditional institutions as a heritage of the country, asking for the government to give them due reverence for national development.
The title of the lecture was: “The Role of Nigeria’s Traditional Institutions in Nation Building: Impediments, Impacts, and Prospects.”

He stated that traditional institutions are not relics of the past, but rather enduring pillars of identity, legitimacy, and communal cohesion.

“Long before Nigeria’s formal administrative systems took root, traditional rulers dispensed justice, upheld values, coordinated local security, and kept communities united.

“Today, they remain custodians of grassroots trust. And nation-building that ignores them does so at its peril.

“No wonder politicians continue to seek their blessings and validation,” he said.

According to him, strengthening traditional institutions is not simply about cultural preservation, but rather strategic governance.

He stated that his government had taken deliberate steps to integrate traditional institutions into the governance architecture, resulting in great success in Oyo State.

The governor stated that nation-building was not about how much oil the country produced, but about the strength of its institutions, their ability to serve the people justly, and the legacy they leave behind.

Appreciating the governor, Oba Aladelusi stated that the traditional institution had a pivotal role to play in nation-building, hence the need for the country’s constitution to strengthen it.

The traditional ruler, who stated that Akure is one without division, commended the state government,  as well as the sons and daughters of the town, for their support of the Deji palace.