Fayose: Makinde lacked courage to face Tinubu alone

Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has claimed Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde had a tense encounter with President Bola Tinubu during his visit to the Presidential Villa on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

Fayose, in a statement issued on Thursday, said Makinde did not meet Tinubu alone but was accompanied by Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, a move he described as a sign of reluctance to face the president independently.

The former governor stated that Tinubu told Makinde that he was open to discussing official matters concerning Oyo State, but would not entertain political discussions, particularly those linked to Makinde’s earlier public accusation that the president was plotting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

He said: “Governor Seyi Makinde demonstrated that he now lacked enough courage to face the President alone, he had to enlist the support of the Plateau State Governor.

“The President told him that if it was about official matters regarding Oyo State, he will listen to him.

“But if it had to with politics and any claim that it was Wike that angered him to go on TV to accuse him (President) of plotting to turn the country to a one party state, it is better to as usual, go on TV to say all he (Makinde) had to say.

“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.

Makinde visits Tinubu at Aso Rock amid PDP leadership crisis

“Furthermore, the President told Governor Makinde that he was not expecting any support from him regarding 2027, and that he should also expect that he (President) will support his party.”

Fayose added that Tinubu stated that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, remained a consistent ally whose support he valued, stressing that any issues between Makinde and the former governor of Rivers State were personal and should not involve the Presidency.

Fayose linked these developments to Makinde’s subsequent remarks to journalists that he was “comfortable” remaining in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), suggesting that the governor had no political prospects within the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He noted: “The President made it clear to Makinde that Wike is someone whose support and consistency he (President) can’t deny or wished away. Therefore, if Makinde has issues with Wike, that is between the two of them, I should be left out of it.

“That’s why Makinde told the press that he’s comfortable in PDP. It’s because of the reality that there’s nothing for him in APC.

“And after this meeting, shouldn’t Makinde tell the people of Oyo State if he has returned the N30bn he admitted to have received from the Federal Government as intervention fund for the January 2023 Ibadan explosion?”

Speaking after the meeting, Makinde said addressing Nigeria’s challenges requires bipartisan cooperation and contributions from all political parties.

The governor said: “We may have issues in this country where you need a bipartisan approach, where there won’t be an issue of APC talking alone or PDP talking alone.

“A situation where we will have to look at what is the best foot forward in the interest of our nation.

“So, when you get to that junction, you need everybody on board.”

Mutfwang, however, did not speak with journalists after the meeting.

The Star