Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has recalled an alleged conversation with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, in which the latter reportedly promised not to work against President Bola Tinubu.
Fayose made the disclosure while appearing on TVC’s Politics Tonight, where he also discussed the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to Fayose, Makinde had told him that he would not allow himself to be used by anyone to oppose Tinubu, whom he described as a fellow Yoruba man.
Fayose said the conversation took place after he came across a television flyer promoting Makinde as a potential presidential candidate. He claimed he forwarded the flyer to Makinde, who subsequently called him.
“Governor Makinde called me when I saw a flyer on TV where they were promoting him as Makinde for President. I forwarded that to him and he called me back immediately.
“He told me that I should not mind those boys because they were looking for money. He said they were jobbers looking for money.
“He told me that if he wanted to contest, he would say it himself and he would not be the Yoruba man who would be used against another Yoruba man like Asiwaju. God is my witness, and let him deny it,” Fayose said.
The former governor also accused Makinde of contributing significantly to the PDP’s internal crisis, attributing the party’s difficulties to what he described as political ambition.
Fayose recalled the role of the G-5 governors ahead of the 2023 presidential election and questioned why members of the group, including Makinde and former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, remain central to the ongoing political developments.
“Makinde caused these problems, even losing out in the PDP, he caused it. We all failed under the G-5 to contest the 2023 election. The question Nigerians should ask us is: what went wrong under the G-5?
“Why is Makinde here? Why is Wike here? It’s very obvious that when you have inordinate ambition, you will have problems,” he stated.
Fayose further alleged that Makinde took control of the PDP structure in Ekiti State from him and handed it over to other individuals.
He said this was why he eventually withdrew from the party’s internal affairs, describing what remained of the PDP structure as a “carcass” that he left for Makinde.
