Makinde Counters Fayose’s Claim Of Tense Meeting With President Tinubu
•By OYENIYI KAZEEM
IBADAN – OYO State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has dismissed claims by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, that his recent meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was tense and politically confrontational.
Fayose had alleged that Governor Makinde was reprimanded by the President during a visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, over political disagreements, including his relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Governor Makinde was at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, where he held a closed-door meeting with President Tinubu.
However, in a January newsletter issued shortly after the meeting, the Oyo State governor clarified that the engagement was held at the President’s request and focused strictly on governance matters affecting 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 stated.
He described the meeting as both a responsibility and a privilege, particularly at critical moments in the state’s history, a position that contradicts Fayose’s account of a hostile encounter.
Fayose had claimed that President Tinubu refused to engage in political discussions, accused Makinde of inconsistency between his public and private positions, and made it clear that he neither expected Makinde’s political support in 2027 nor intended to abandon Wike, whom he reportedly described as a loyal ally.
But sources close to Governor Makinde insist that the meeting was neither confrontational nor political, maintaining that the visit was solely aimed at advancing the developmental interests of Oyo State.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Makinde also reaffirmed his commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stating that he remained comfortable within the party.
Political observers say this further underscores his position that the Villa visit was not linked to any defection agenda.