Determined to avoid legal landmines, Governor Seyi Makinde is exiting the crisis-ridden PDP for a new political platform, especially as the battle for the soul of the party shows no sign of ending.
Multiple sources close to the Oyo State governor have confirmed to Spear News that he is set to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Action Democratic Party (ADP).
This is even as the Governor is expected to unveil his deputy governorship candidate for 2027.
The decision, if officially confirmed, will reshape the political contest for the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State.
On April 30, 2026, the Supreme Court delivered a devastating judgment against the party. In a split five-member decision, three justices held that an appeal by a faction led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), lacked merit. The ruling affirmed earlier decisions by the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, which had nullified the national convention of the PDP held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025.
What does that mean in plain English? The PDP has no legitimate national leadership. Two factions are locked in a bitter war for control of the party machinery. For a governor like Makinde, who needs a stable platform to field his successor, the PDP has suddenly become toxic.
Sources say Makinde does not want his political structure swallowed by the internal wrangling. He needs a clean, legal, uncontested platform. The ADP offers exactly that. It is a registered party with no ongoing leadership crisis.
All indications point to Bimbo Adekanmbi, a former Commissioner for Finance under the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi. The irony is striking. Makinde, a PDP governor, is reportedly backing a man who served under his political rival from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adekanmbi officially joined the PDP on December 10, 2025, and declared his governorship ambition on April 21, 2026. He has since met with party stakeholders, state lawmakers, and local government chairmen across Oyo, quietly building consensus. If Makinde moves to ADP, Adekanmbi will likely have to decamp barely months after joining the PDP.
But there is a complication. Adekanmbi is a Christian. And back in 2023, there was an unwritten agreement that Makinde’s successor should be a Muslim.
A PDP stalwart who spoke with Spear News on condition of anonymity said, “There is an unwritten agreement reached with the governor in 2023 that his successor should be Muslim. We wait to see how it goes.”
The source further noted that the APC is fully aware of this religious factor. That is why most of the main opposition’s governorship aspirants are Muslims. If Makinde goes ahead with Adekanmbi, he will have to work hard to convince the Muslim community in Oyo State.
What about the other aspirants who have been waiting in the wings? In March, Makinde tasked the state advisory council, led by Bolaji Ayorinde, to engage with PDP aspirants for the 2027 race.
Those who appeared before the council include Adedeji Olajide, member representing Ibadan South-West/North-East; Nureni Adeniran, Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board; Debo Akande, Chairman of the Agribusiness Development Agency; and Adebo Ogundoyin, Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly. Their fate remains unclear. Some may be asked to follow Makinde to ADP. Others may resist.
If Makinde successfully moves to ADP with Adekanmbi, he will achieve two things. First, he will escape the sinking ship of the PDP crisis. Second, he will position a loyalist to succeed him.
But the risks are real. He may lose Muslim voters. He may split the PDP in Oyo State, creating a faction that stays behind to fight him. And he may face legal challenges from aspirants who feel sidelined.
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