Segun Atanda/
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has offered a sharply critical account of Governor Seyi Makinde’s meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
He described the encounter as controversial and raised questions about Makinde’s political posture.
According to Fayose, Makinde lacked the courage to meet the President alone, instead bringing along Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, for support.
Fayose alleged that during the meeting, the President made clear he would listen to Makinde only on official matters concerning Oyo State, but any discussion involving politics, including disputes with Nyesom Wike, should be addressed publicly rather than privately.
“He was told pointedly that he can’t come to the closet on political matters to eat his words while saying another thing to the public,” Fayose wrote in a statement on Thursday.
Fayose further claimed that President Tinubu told Makinde he was not expecting any support from him for the 2027 elections, and would instead support his own party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former governor added that the President reaffirmed Wike’s influence, saying his consistency and support could not be wished away, leaving any personal issues between Makinde and Wike to be resolved directly between them.
While Makinde publicly described the meeting as constructive and focused on governance, he also emphasised that he remains committed to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“I am comfortable in the PDP,” Makinde told reporters after the Villa meeting. “There are moments in a country’s life when a bipartisan approach is required, not an APC-only or PDP-only conversation.”
The meeting took place shortly after Governor Mutfwang’s audience with the President, and reports described it as part of routine consultations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Fayose also used the statement to question Makinde’s transparency regarding federal funds, writing, “after this meeting, shouldn’t Makinde tell the people of Oyo State if he has returned the N30 billion he admitted to have received from the Federal Government as an intervention fund for the January 2023 Ibadan explosion?”
Makinde’s aides have consistently denied allegations of financial impropriety and insisted the governor’s focus remains on state development and national cooperation, rather than defection or partisan maneuvering.
0
