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Governor Makinde and President Tinubu during Thursdays meting at State House, Abuja
What transpired at yesterday’s meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde threw up controversy.
It was the first one-on-one meeting between the President and the governor after the governor’s last month’s media chat in which he declared that he won’t support the President in 2027 and alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is behind the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because it is plotting a one-party state.
He also accused the President of not keeping to agreement for his support in 2023 and accused Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike of telling the President how he would ‘hold down’ the PDP to paved the way for the President’s victory in 2027.
After the meeting, Makinde told reporters that his relationship with President is ‘harmonious,’ adding the there was nothing he said that was contrary to a good relationship.
But former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, in a statement, said the Aso Villa meeting was not a smooth sail for Makinde.
“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: “Here is the true story of what happened in the Villa when Governor Seyi Makinde visited the President today (yesterday).
“First, Governor Seyi Makinde demonstrated that he lacked enough courage to face the President alone. He had to enlist the support of the Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
“The President told him that if it was about official matters regarding Oyo State, he would listen to him.
“Lastly, the President made it clear to Makinde that Wike is someone whose support and consistency he (President) can’t deny or wish 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 media 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 N30billion he admitted to have received from the Federal Government as intervention fund for the January 2023 Ibadan (Bodija) explosion?”
After Makinde’s last month media chat, Fayose made the revelation of Federal Government’s N30b support for the Bodija explosion victims.
Makinde, thereafter, for the first time, announced that Oyo State indeed received N30 billion to resettle the victims.
After yesterday’s meeting at the Villa, Makinde who spoke to reporters, said: “The President is the President of Nigeria, not the President of APC, and we’re talking about governance here. So, I came to discuss with the President on some governance issues, basically”.
On whether his visit signalled an improved relationship with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Makinde insisted that political differences had never translated into hostility or lack of cooperation.
He said: “There’s nothing that I’ve said in the past that says we’re not enjoying a harmonious relationship. Politics is politics. We belong to different political parties, but Nigeria is a project that all Nigerians must be concerned about”.
The governor listed insecurity, poverty alleviation and citizens’ welfare as issues that transcend party lines, noting that leaders at all levels must collaborate to improve the lives of Nigerians.
“These are things that have no coloration of a party. As leaders, whether President or governor, those are things we have to work together on, consult with one another, and ensure that we can make life better for our people,” he added.
On speculation that he might follow some opposition figures who have defected to the APC, Makinde dismissed the idea, reaffirming his loyalty to PDP.
“No. I’m comfortable in the PDP,” he said, while acknowledging that certain national challenges require bipartisan cooperation.
“There are times when you need everybody on board to take the best step forward in the interest of our nation,” he said. (The Nation, but headline rejigged)
