THE Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday visited President Bola Tinubu, saying the visit was to discuss “some governance issues” with the President and not political.
News Point Nigeria reports that the meeting comes amid ongoing political realignments, as key stakeholders begin strategic consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, Makinde, who arrived at the Aso Rock Villa around 3:30 p.m., was quick to dismiss any political undertones in his interview with journalists after the meeting.
A leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Makinde said President Tinubu is not only the President of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but the President of all Nigerians.
“Well, the President is the President of Nigeria, not the President of the APC, and we’re talking about governance here,” Makinde said. “So I came to discuss with the President some governance issues, basically.”
Recently, some PDP bigwigs, including governors, have dumped the party for the APC, leaving Makinde and a few others in the opposition party.
Asked if he would soon join the APC, Makinde replied in the negative, insisting that he is comfortable in the PDP.
“No, I’m comfortable in the PDP and again, we may have issues in this country where you need a bipartisan approach where it won’t be an issue of maybe APC talking alone or PDP talking alone, where we will have to look at what is the best foot forward in the interest of our nation.
“So when you get to that junction, you need everybody on board,” Makinde said.
Asked if he now has a better relationship with the President despite his recent statements in the press, Makinde maintained that he had never indicated any frosty ties.
“No, no, there’s nothing I’ve said in the past that suggests we are not enjoying a harmonious relationship,” he said.
He noted that while he and the President belong to different political parties, Nigeria remains a project that all citizens must be concerned about, regardless of political affiliation.
“Politics is politics. We belong to different political parties, but Nigeria is a project that all Nigerians must be concerned about, particularly the welfare of our people. What are the governance issues? Issues like insecurity and poverty alleviation.
“There are matters that have no party affiliation. As leaders, whether President or Governor of a state, these are issues we must work together on, consult with one another, and ensure we can make life a little better for our people,” Makinde said.