Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday held a personal assembly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The assembly was held behind closed doorways. Particulars of the dialogue weren’t instantly disclosed as of the time this report was filed.
Makinde arrived on the State Home shortly after Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang. Mutfwang had earlier met with the President earlier than Makinde was ushered into the President’s workplace.
Makinde is a key determine inside the opposition Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP). He was additionally a outstanding member of the G5 governors who brazenly opposed the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The G5 governors argued that energy ought to return to the South after the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari from the North. This place influenced their political selections over the last common election.
Except for Makinde, different members of the G5 included former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.
Makinde later labored in assist of Tinubu’s emergence as President in 2023. Nonetheless, relations inside the G5 have since deteriorated, particularly between Makinde and Wike, who at the moment serves as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The Oyo governor just lately make clear the reason for the fallout. He disclosed that tensions started after Wike allegedly made a political dedication to President Tinubu with out consulting different PDP stakeholders.
Makinde mentioned the incident occurred throughout a gathering involving the President, Wike, and different political figures.
“I used to be in a gathering with the President and Wike and some others, and Wike mentioned to the President that I’ll maintain PDP for you in opposition to 2027,” Makinde mentioned.
“So, we bought up, and I requested Wike, did we comply with this?”
Makinde defined that whereas Wike has the precise to assist Tinubu’s re-election ambition, he doesn’t have the authority to talk for your complete PDP.
He confused that defending the survival of opposition events is essential to Nigeria’s democracy.
“The actual situation is that Wike want to assist the President in 2027, that’s tremendous, it’s inside his proper to try this,” he mentioned.
“But additionally a few of us that need democracy to outlive in Nigeria, we don’t drift right into a one-party state, and we need to make sure that PDP survives, he also needs to enable us to do our personal factor,” he added.
Makinde additional clarified that President Tinubu didn’t request such a dedication from Wike.
“The President didn’t ask him; do that for me, he was the one who volunteered that I’d do that,” Makinde mentioned.
In accordance with the governor, efforts to reverse Wike’s place failed, forcing him to fully distance himself from the transfer.
“After he didn’t again off, I advised him from that day that I’d by no means be a part of this,” he mentioned.
Makinde reaffirmed that his political selections forward of the 2027 elections would stay impartial.
“That’s the reason I’ll by no means assist the President for 2027. Wike can assist him; it’s inside his proper, however it’s also inside my proper inside the political house to find out who I’ll assist or what I’ll do in 2027,” he added.
Nonetheless, the aim of Makinde’s newest assembly with President Tinubu stays unclear.