Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has alleged that President Bola Tinubu firmly dismissed Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde during Makinde’s visit to the Presidential Villa on Thursday.
In a statement he released a few hours after the meeting, titled “Untold story of what happened in the Villa during Governor Makinde’s visit to the President today,” Fayose claimed that Makinde did not secure a private audience with the president and instead sought the backing of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang.
According to Fayose, Makinde lacked the confidence to approach the president on his own and therefore involved another governor. He said, “Here is the true story of what happened in the Villa when Governor Seyi Makinde visited the President today. First, Governor Seyi Makinde demonstrated that he now lacked enough courage to face the President alone; he had to enlist the support of the Plateau State Governor.”
Fayose further alleged that President Tinubu made it clear that he would only entertain discussions strictly related to governance in Oyo State, not political grievances. As he put it, “The President told him that if it was about official matters regarding Oyo State, he will listen to him.”
However, Fayose claimed the president rejected any attempt to raise political concerns, particularly Makinde’s public comments accusing the president and others of pushing the country toward a one-party system. Fayose quoted the president as saying, “But if it had to do with politics and any claim that it was Wike that angered him to go on TV to accuse him of plotting to turn the country into a one-party state, it is better to, as usual, go on TV to say all he had to say.”
He also alleged that Tinubu warned Makinde against taking contradictory positions in private meetings and public statements, adding, “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.”
On the 2027 general elections, Fayose claimed the president clearly stated that he was not relying on Makinde for political support. According to him, “The President told Governor Makinde that he was not expecting any support from him regarding 2027, and that he should also expect that the President will support his party.”
Fayose also said Tinubu reaffirmed his close ties with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, stressing that any disagreement between Makinde and Wike was a personal issue. He quoted the president’s position through his own words: “Wike is someone whose support and consistency the President can’t deny or wish away. If Makinde has issues with Wike, that is between the two of them.”
In closing, Fayose raised concerns about funds allegedly given to Oyo State following the January 2023 Ibadan explosion, questioning the status of the money. He asked, “Shouldn’t Makinde tell the people of Oyo State if he has returned the N30bn he admitted to have received from the Federal Government as intervention fund?”
