The Presidency on Thursday acknowledged a private meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
Confirmation came from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who shared details of the encounter via a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
According to Onanuga, the meeting took place behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja. He described it as a private discussion between President Tinubu and Governor Makinde.
Governor Makinde is a prominent member of the G-5 group of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors who publicly rejected the party’s choice of Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The governors had argued that the PDP’s zoning principle required the presidency to shift to the South following the completion of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure in the North.
Other members of the G-5 included former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State. The group eventually worked against the PDP’s presidential bid and threw their support behind Tinubu in the 2023 polls.
Since then, tensions have reportedly developed between Makinde and Wike, who currently serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
In a recent interview, Makinde explained that the rift began after Wike allegedly informed President Tinubu that he would “hold the PDP” for him ahead of the 2027 elections—without consulting other party leaders.
Makinde stated that he challenged the comment during the meeting, insisting that no collective agreement had been reached within the party regarding such a commitment.
While acknowledging Wike’s right to back President Tinubu’s re-election, Makinde emphasized that other PDP members also have the right to defend the party’s independence and prevent Nigeria from sliding into a one-party system.
He further clarified that President Tinubu did not ask Wike to make such a pledge, describing it as a voluntary statement made without presidential prompting.
According to Makinde, efforts to persuade Wike to reverse his position failed, prompting him to distance himself from the move entirely.
The Oyo State governor concluded by reaffirming his autonomy in political decision-making, stressing that he would independently determine his stance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
