Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu bluntly turned down political discussions with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, during his visit to the Presidential Villa on Thursday. Fayose made the claim in a statement released shortly after the meeting, where he gave his version of what transpired behind closed doors.
In the statement titled “Untold story of what happened in the Villa during Governor Makinde’s visit to the President today,” Fayose claimed that Makinde did not meet the President alone but sought the presence of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang. According to him, this showed that Makinde lacked the confidence to face the President privately.
Fayose alleged that President Tinubu told Makinde he was only willing to listen to issues strictly concerning the governance of Oyo State and not political matters. He claimed the President advised Makinde that if he had political grievances, especially those previously aired on television, he should continue addressing them publicly rather than privately at the Villa.
He further stated that the President cautioned Makinde against speaking one way in public and another in private. Fayose quoted Tinubu as saying Makinde could not privately retract political statements while maintaining a different posture before the public.
On the 2027 general elections, Fayose alleged that Tinubu made it clear he was not expecting any political support from Makinde and that Makinde should also not expect support from the President for his party. He also claimed that Tinubu reaffirmed his relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, describing Makinde’s issues with Wike as personal.
Fayose concluded his statement by raising questions about the N30 billion reportedly released to Oyo State as a federal intervention fund following the January 2023 Ibadan explosion. He challenged Makinde to disclose whether the funds had been returned or how they were utilised.
