Makinde Meets President Tinubu at State House, Fuels Political Speculation

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Wednesday met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, a development that has renewed political discussions amid ongoing alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Makinde, a senior figure in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), arrived at the Presidential Villa shortly after Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and was received at the President’s office. The purpose of the meeting was not made public as of the time of filing this report.

The visit has drawn attention given Makinde’s political history and his role within the PDP. He was a prominent member of the G-5 group of governors who opposed the party’s presidential ticket in the 2023 election. The group argued that the PDP’s zoning arrangement should have favoured a southern candidate following the eight-year tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Other members of the G-5 included Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Okezie Ikpeazu. Relations within the group have since fractured, particularly between Makinde and Wike.

In a recent interview, Makinde attributed his fallout with Wike to a meeting involving President Tinubu, where Wike allegedly pledged to mobilise the PDP in support of the President’s 2027 re-election bid without consulting other party stakeholders.

According to Makinde, he challenged the pledge during the meeting, insisting that no such agreement had been reached within the party. He said while Wike was entitled to his political choice, others within the PDP had the right to oppose actions they believed could undermine political plurality.

Makinde further stated that President Tinubu did not request Wike’s pledge and described it as unsolicited. He added that efforts to persuade Wike to reconsider were unsuccessful.

Reaffirming his stance, the Oyo State governor said he would not support President Tinubu in 2027, stressing his commitment to the survival of opposition politics and democratic balance in Nigeria.

Details of Wednesday’s meeting between President Tinubu and Governor Makinde remain undisclosed.