Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) mishandled the internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by failing to involve all key stakeholders in critical meetings.
Makinde stated this during his media chat in Ibadan on Tuesday.
He said the exclusion deepened mistrust and worsened the party’s internal face-off.
Makinde, referencing the period of heightened tension that led to the emergence of the defunct G-5 governors, and the reason behind the recent Ibadan National Convention, said INEC did not invite everyone involved in the dispute to the table.
According to him, the commission’s approach created the impression that some voices mattered more than others.
The governor stated bluntly that “INEC played us,” explaining that decisions were taken without broad consultation, even though the issues at stake affected the entire party structure.
He argued that a fair and transparent process would have required hearing from all factions before drawing conclusions or taking positions.
Makinde noted that the lack of inclusiveness contributed to the breakdown of trust between party leaders and institutions meant to act as neutral arbiters.
He said the situation left many party members feeling sidelined and reinforced the divisions that later played out publicly.
He concluded that strong democratic institutions must be seen to be fair, especially during internal party disputes. Makinde said future engagements must be more open and inclusive, warning that democracy suffers when critical stakeholders are shut out of conversations that shape political outcomes.
The governor then called the attention of INEC to the Supreme Court ruling that party affairs are internal affairs.
Newsregisterng
