The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the presidential ambition of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, describing it as “dead on arrival.”

Wike made the remark on Thursday while speaking with journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects in Abuja, just hours after Makinde reportedly declared his presidential ambition in Ibadan.

Speaking at a joint mega-rally organised by the Peoples Democratic Party and the Allied Peoples Movement, Makinde had expressed concern over the country’s worsening economic and social conditions, saying many Nigerians were struggling daily to survive.

He also accused government officials of failing in their responsibility to protect the welfare of citizens.

Reacting to the development, Wike rejected reports of a political alliance between the PDP and the APM, describing the arrangement as deceptive.

“That’s the 419 we are talking about. INEC also knows that there is no such thing as a PDP-APM alliance,” he said.

The FCT minister further accused some opposition politicians of misleading Nigerians with claims that both parties had entered into a formal agreement or memorandum of understanding.

According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission has no record of any alliance involving the PDP and the APM, insisting that the opposition party remains independent in its preparations ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The screening of aspirants by the Abdulrahman Mohammed PDP faction clearly indicates that the party is independent and not in any alliance,” Wike stated.

He also claimed that Makinde’s political strategy was responsible for the alleged arrangement, maintaining that no genuine coalition exists between the parties.

“What you have is Seyi Makinde joining APM to be able to actualise his presidential ambition, which is already dead on arrival,” Wike said.

The minister stressed that the PDP would field its own presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections and urged Nigerians to ignore speculation surrounding any merger or coalition talks.

Wike also referenced Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, noting that discussions about a PDP–APM alliance never came up during engagements within the party.

“It’s unfortunate. We know that has been his game plan, and we would say he cannot fly the flag of PDP,” he added.

When questioned about comments relating to internal matters within the All Progressives Congress, Wike declined to comment, insisting that party disputes are internal affairs.

Earlier during the inspection tour, the minister expressed satisfaction with the progress of the 13-kilometre Gomani-Yangoji road project in Abuja, saying the road was on course for inauguration during activities marking President Bola Tinubu’s third anniversary in office in June.

He explained that the project aligns with the Federal Government’s broader plan to extend infrastructure development to satellite communities in order to reduce rural-urban migration.

“Remember that when we came on board, one of the directives of Mr President was that we should not concentrate development and provision of infrastructure only in the cities. We must open up all the satellite towns in order to discourage rural-urban migration,” Wike said.