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Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate Seyi Makinde has suggested that his decision to enter the 2027 presidential race may have strained his relationship with President Bola Tinubu, despite having supported Tinubu’s electoral victory in Oyo State during the 2023 general elections.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television, Makinde speculated that rumors regarding his political ambitions may have reached the President and created friction between them. He also recalled a past meeting involving Tinubu and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, during which Wike pledged to maintain control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in support of the President ahead of 2027.
“Well, I can only guess. Yes, please. You know, people talk a lot. Maybe some people went and told him, ‘Look, Seyi may likely run against you.’ I don’t know. That may cause bad blood between us,” Makinde stated.
“We were with the president and the minister of FCT. You know, knelt just by his side and told him that, look, I will hold PDP for you.”
Makinde maintained that his presidential ambition is a recent development, noting that he backed Wike during the 2023 PDP presidential primary and turned down overtures from associates of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to serve as his running mate.
According to Makinde, he declined the vice-presidential offer because he believed having spent only three years as governor and public servant was insufficient experience for the role at the time.
“So, it was my ambition, but I supported him in 2023 during the presidential primary of PDP. So, I didn’t have ambition then. I suddenly just developed an ambition. And let me say this: former VP Atiku Abubakar had his people approach me to run with him, and I basically told them, ‘Look, I was only three years as a governor in Oyo State, and three years as a public servant. So it wasn’t enough to take such a decision.’ So I said to them, ‘No, go look for someone else that can run. If it’s an ambition driving me, that is probably the surest part.'”
The governor further revealed a complete breakdown in communication with the Presidency, alleging that Tinubu never reached out to him during the 56-day captivity of abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area in Oyo State.
Makinde noted that his attempts to arrange a meeting with the President through the State Chief of Protocol went unanswered.
“I tried to see the President when our students and our children and their teachers were kidnapped, because I thought if any part of Nigeria is going through such a challenge, the president should be interested. Actually, I expected the president to call me,” Makinde explained, confirming that he has not spoken directly with Tinubu since the incident and remains focused on governing Oyo State.
