Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, intensified his criticism of President Bola Tinubu after an unsuccessful attempt to reconcile with the president during a recent visit to the Presidential Villa.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Fayose claimed that Makinde’s remarks about the Tinubu administration, made at the birthday event of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, were driven by dissatisfaction over what he described as an unproductive meeting with the president.
According to Fayose, Makinde had sought to repair political ties with President Tinubu following earlier comments attributed to him, but was reportedly disappointed by the outcome of the engagement.
“As I earlier made public, Governor Makinde went to see the president in an effort to manage the fallout from his earlier remarks, but the outcome of that visit did not meet his expectations,” Fayose stated.
The former governor further alleged that President Tinubu made it clear during the meeting that he would support candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Fayose argued that this position may have influenced Makinde’s recent stance, which he described as increasingly critical of the federal government. He suggested that the Oyo State governor’s public comments were a reaction to what he perceived as a breakdown in reconciliation efforts.
He also claimed that Makinde’s comparison of the Tinubu administration with that of former President Muhammadu Buhari would not have been made if the meeting had yielded a more favourable outcome.
Fayose went on to urge the APC leadership in Oyo State to intensify its political mobilisation, alleging that Makinde might support a candidate outside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next election cycle.
As of the time of filing this report, Governor Makinde has not publicly responded to Fayose’s claims.
Fayose Claims Makinde’s Criticism of Tinubu Followed Failed Reconciliation Effort
