In a statement released on Wednesday, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has provided startling details about a recent meeting between Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Minna, Niger State. According to Fayose, the meeting, which took place on Tuesday, was carefully orchestrated to ensure “confidence and acceptability” among key political stakeholders.
Fayose, who shared the details on his verified X account under the title “Between Atiku and Makinde, Untold Story of What Happened in Minna”, claimed that discussions centered around the upcoming presidential election, specifically regarding the selection of a running mate for Atiku. The former governor alleged that Atiku’s camp expressed concerns that Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would neither accept to run as Atiku’s deputy nor be widely accepted in the North as a potential successor.
In his statement, Fayose also claimed that Atiku is confident of securing the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He suggested that the former vice president had made arrangements to ensure that the ADC would not zone its presidential ticket. This development, according to Fayose, paved the way for Makinde to allegedly agree to join the ADC under the condition that he would be named Atiku’s running mate on the party’s ticket.
“Makinde agreed in principle to join ADC on the condition that he would emerge as Atiku’s running mate,” Fayose wrote in his statement, adding that this proposal is now set to be presented to Atiku’s inner caucus for further deliberation and possible ratification.
The former governor further claimed that Makinde pledged to use his political influence to mobilize support for the ADC, particularly within the South-West and South-South regions. Fayose asserted that Makinde promised to deliver delegates from the South-West during the ADC primary elections and to leverage family ties in Rivers State to secure the party’s backing in the South-South.
“Atiku is 70% certain of getting the ADC ticket, having ensured the non-zoning of the party’s presidential ticket,” Fayose stated, adding that Makinde’s entry into the race would provide a strategic advantage for the ADC, particularly by splitting votes in the South-West.
Fayose also mentioned that a follow-up meeting between the two camps is expected to take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, within the next two weeks.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Makinde nor Atiku had responded to the claims made by Fayose.
