Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has claimed that Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa was marked by sharp exchanges over politics and the 2027 elections.
In a statement released on his personal page on X on Tuesday, Fayose alleged that Makinde did not meet the President alone but was accompanied by the Plateau State Governor, a move he described as a sign of political caution.
According to Fayose, President Tinubu reportedly told the Oyo State governor that he was willing to listen to issues strictly related to governance in Oyo State, but not to political grievances, particularly claims that the President was working toward a one-party state.
The former governor further alleged that Tinubu cautioned Makinde against “speaking differently in private and in public,” insisting that if the Oyo governor had political criticisms, he should air them openly rather than seek private engagement.
Fayose also claimed that the President made it clear he did not expect political support from Makinde ahead of the 2027 elections and would, in turn, continue to support his own party.
On the lingering political rift within the opposition, Fayose alleged that Tinubu reaffirmed his relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, describing him as a loyal and consistent ally whose support could not be discounted.
“If Makinde has issues with Wike, that is between them,” Fayose claimed the President said, adding that Tinubu allegedly asked not to be drawn into internal PDP disputes.
Fayose argued that these alleged exchanges explained Makinde’s subsequent public declaration that he remains “comfortable” in the Peoples Democratic Party, insisting that the governor has no political pathway within the All Progressives Congress.
The former Ekiti governor also raised questions over the management of federal intervention funds, calling on Makinde to account for the ₦30 billion reportedly received following the January 2023 Ibadan explosion.
Neither the Presidency nor the Oyo State Government has officially responded to Fayose’s claims as of the time of filing this report.
