Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu bluntly rebuffed Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, during his visit to the Presidential Villa on Thursday, claiming the president refused to engage him on political matters.
In a statement titled “Untold story of what happened in the Villa during Governor Makinde’s visit to the President today,” Fayose said Makinde could not meet Tinubu alone and had to be accompanied by Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, which he described as a sign of political weakness.
According to Fayose, Tinubu made it clear that he was only willing to listen to Makinde on official issues relating strictly to Oyo State governance and not on politics, particularly allegations Makinde had previously made publicly about plans to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
Fayose further claimed that the president cautioned Makinde against speaking one way in private and another in public, warning him not to retract or soften political positions behind closed doors while maintaining a different stance publicly.
On the 2027 general election, Fayose alleged that Tinubu told Makinde he was not expecting his support and would instead stand firmly with his own party and allies, including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, adding that any dispute between Makinde and Wike was purely personal and not a concern of the president.