Explosive Villa Meeting: Fayose opens Lid on what transpired between Makinde and Tinubu

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Former Ekiti State Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose has claimed that today’s visit by Seyi Makinde to the Presidential Villa ended on a frosty note, with President Bola Tinubu drawing a clear line between official state business and partisan politics.

In a post shared on X on Thursday, Fayose offered what he described as the “true story” of the meeting, alleging that Makinde did not attend the meeting alone but came with the Plateau State Governor, a move Fayose portrayed as a sign of political unease.

According to Fayose, the President made it clear he was willing to engage Makinde strictly on official matters concerning Oyo State.

However, he claimed that Tinubu rejected any attempt to privately revisit political criticisms Makinde had previously aired in public, including accusations that the President was plotting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

Fayose alleged that Makinde was told he could not “come to the closet on political matters to eat his words” after publicly expressing contrary views, and that if he had political grievances, he should continue to express them openly rather than seek a private reconciliation.

The former governor further claimed that President Tinubu bluntly informed Makinde not to expect his support ahead of the 2027 general elections, adding that the President would, in turn, support his own political party.

Central to the alleged exchange, Fayose said, was the President’s defence of Nyesom Wike, whom he described as a loyal and consistent ally.

Fayose claimed the President told Makinde that any dispute between him and Wike was a personal political matter and should not be dragged into the Presidency.

“Wike is someone whose support and consistency the President can’t deny or wish away,” Fayose wrote, adding that the President insisted he should be left out of any rift between the two governors.

Fayose linked the alleged outcome of the meeting to Makinde’s subsequent remarks to journalists, in which the Oyo governor reportedly reaffirmed his commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“That’s why Makinde told the press that he’s comfortable in PDP,” Fayose claimed, arguing that the meeting made it clear Makinde had “nothing” to gain from aligning with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The former Ekiti governor also raised a fresh political question, calling on Makinde to account publicly for a ₦30 billion federal intervention fund he previously acknowledged receiving in relation to the January 2023 Ibadan explosion.

“And after this meeting, shouldn’t Makinde tell the people of Oyo State if he has returned the ₦30bn he admitted to have received from the Federal Government?” Fayose asked.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Governor Makinde nor the Presidency had responded to Fayose’s claims.