Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has dismissed viral claims by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, that his recent meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was tense and politically confrontational.
Makinde’s rebuttal follows Fayose’s statement in which he alleged that the Oyo governor was reprimanded by the President during a visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, over political disagreements and his relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
In a January newsletter issued shortly after the meeting, Governor Makinde stated that the engagement with President Tinubu was held at the President’s request and focused on “urgent governance issues” in the interest of Oyo State.
“Earlier today, at the President’s request, I met with him to discuss urgent governance issues, because leadership sometimes requires direct, high-level intervention in the interest of Oyo State,” Makinde said.
He described the meeting as part of the responsibility and privilege of serving the state at critical moments in its history, contradicting Fayose’s narrative of a hostile encounter.
Fayose had alleged that the President declined to entertain political discussions, accused Makinde of speaking differently in private and public, and made it clear that he neither expected Makinde’s support in 2027 nor intended to abandon Wike, whom he described as a consistent ally.
However, Makinde’s camp insists that the meeting was neither confrontational nor political, maintaining that the governor’s visit was purely in pursuit of Oyo State’s developmental interests.
Following the meeting, Makinde also told journalists that he remained comfortable in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a statement political observers say further underscores his position that there was no defection agenda tied to the Villa visit.