Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the former governor of Osun State, has firmly separated his own political standing from that of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
He declared that the latter cannot claim leadership over him in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Oyinlola, 76, made the declaration while dismissing suggestions of his involvement in Wike’s proposed political coalition, popularly known as the rainbow coalition.
He said he remained in the PDP but had no interest in being part of a political arrangement associated with the FCT minister.
Oyinlola, who insisted that nobody had approached him to join the group, went further to question Wike’s claim to political seniority.
He recalled that the minister was still a student when he was already occupying the governorship position.
“He qualifies to be my boy. When I was governor in Lagos, where was he? In school”, Oyinlola said in an interview with Channels Television.
He also made light of the name given to Wike’s political arrangement.
He said the only rainbow he understood was the natural phenomenon seen in the sky.
Oyinlola further expressed concern about the divisions within the PDP.
He identified internal opposition as a major obstacle to efforts to restore the party’s cohesion.
He said former President Olusegun Obasanjo had made attempts to reposition the opposition party but that some members were frustrating the initiative.
According to him, the party’s difficulty in resolving its internal disagreements was being compounded by competing interests working against its unity.
“There are too many forces working against the unity of the party,” he said.
Despite the prolonged crisis, Oyinlola rejected the suggestion that the PDP had lost its political relevance, arguing that its nationwide grassroots structures remained a major asset.
He pointed to the party’s presence across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
He said the existing network could be reactivated if members resolved their differences.
“The PDP is a party that has its tentacles up to every of the 774 local governments. The tentacle is very much alive. We just need to whip it up and we get going,” he said.
Oyinlola also suggested that age had changed his attitude towards political contests.
He recalled that he had resolved to retire from active politics at 65 if he failed to achieve his ambitions.
The PDP has been divided by a prolonged leadership dispute since 2023, with Wike aligned with one of the rival factions.
The disagreement has extended to the courts, including a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the interim National Working Committee led by Kabiru Turaki.
The Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed the suit in July, while the Court of Appeal on November 4, 2026, dismissed an appeal challenging the decision.
What You Should Know
Former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola has openly rejected the political leadership of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that Wike is far too junior politically to claim authority over him. Oyinlola also distanced himself from Wike’s proposed political coalition and highlighted deep internal divisions as the main obstacle facing the opposition party.
- Political Insight: The public clash exposes the deep factional lines and leadership struggles currently undermining unity within the main opposition party.
- Potential Concerns: Ongoing infighting and competing interests may continue to weaken the PDP’s ability to present a formidable front or resolve its long-standing legal and structural crises.
