Fayose claims Governor Makinde lacked courage at Presidential Villa meeting with Tinubu, raising questions on politics, federal funds, and party alignment.
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has publicly revealed what he claims transpired during a high-profile meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
In a statement on X, Fayose described the encounter as both politically significant and revealing, shedding light on the relationship between the federal government and key state governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Titled “Untold story of what happened in the Villa during Governor Makinde’s Visit to the President today,” the statement alleges that Governor Makinde did not attend the meeting alone but was accompanied by the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Muftwang.
According to Fayose, this move suggested a lack of political confidence on the part of Makinde.
“Governor Seyi Makinde demonstrated that he lacked enough courage to face the President alone, and therefore had to enlist the support of the Plateau State Governor,” Fayose wrote in his statement.
According to the former Ekiti governor, President Tinubu reportedly drew a clear distinction between official matters concerning Oyo State and political issues during the meeting.
Fayose claims that the President emphasized his willingness to discuss governance issues but refused to entertain political grievances or matters that had already been aired publicly.
“The President told him that if it was about official state matters, he would listen. But if it was political, particularly claims regarding Wike or accusations made on television, it is better to continue addressing those publicly,” Fayose stated.
The former governor alleged that President Tinubu also criticized what he described as double standards in political communication.
Fayose said the President reportedly made it clear that he could not entertain private complaints on political issues while the governor made contradictory statements in public.
“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,”Fayose added.
Fayose further stated that the President explicitly told Governor Makinde that he was not expecting any political support from Oyo State for the 2027 elections.
Instead, the President is said to have reassured that he would, in turn, continue to support his own party.
This, according to Fayose, may explain why Governor Makinde later appeared to reaffirm his commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stating that he remained “comfortable” within the party.
The former Ekiti governor suggested that this position reflected the reality that there were no tangible incentives for Makinde in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Another critical point raised by Fayose concerned President Tinubu’s view on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
According to the former governor, the President emphasized that Wike was a trusted and reliable ally, whose support could not be ignored.
Fayose claimed that Tinubu reportedly told Makinde that any disagreements he had with Wike were strictly personal or political matters between them and should not involve the President.
Beyond the politics of the meeting, Fayose also questioned governance issues in Oyo State.
He specifically challenged Governor Makinde to account for funds allegedly received from the Federal Government in the wake of the January 2023 Ibadan explosion.
“After this meeting, shouldn’t Makinde tell the people of Oyo State if he has returned the N30 billion he admitted receiving as federal intervention funds?” he asked, urging transparency and accountability from the state government.
Observers of the meeting have noted that the interaction, as described by Fayose, highlights ongoing political calculations in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections.
By reporting that the President drew a firm line between governance and partisan issues, Fayose suggests that the federal administration seeks to manage relationships with state governors without being drawn into party disputes.
As at press time, neither Governor Makinde nor the Presidential Villa had issued any official statement responding to Fayose’s claims.
The former governor’s narrative, however, continues to circulate widely, particularly among political analysts and journalists tracking inter-party dynamics and governance accountability in Nigeria.
Ireport247news.com
