Oyo Gov. Makinde meets President Tinubu, denies move from PDP

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde visited President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa on Thursday, stating that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss governance matters, not politics.

He arrived at the Presidential residence around 3:30 p.m.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Governor Makinde, a prominent member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), emphasized that President Tinubu is the leader of all Nigerians, not just his own party.

“Well, the President is the President of Nigeria, not the President of the APC, and we’re talking about governance here,” he explained.

When questioned about potential defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), especially following recent departures of other PDP figures, Makinde firmly dismissed the idea.

“No, I’m comfortable in the PDP,” he stated, adding that a bipartisan approach is often necessary for national interest.

“You need everybody on board,” he noted.

The Governor also clarified that his relationship with the President remains harmonious despite their political differences.

“There’s nothing I’ve said in the past that suggests we are not enjoying a harmonious relationship,” Makinde said.

He stressed that core national issues transcend party lines. “Politics is politics. We belong to different political parties, but Nigeria is a project that all Nigerians must be concerned about,” Makinde said, listing insecurity and poverty alleviation as examples of non-partisan governance challenges that require collaborative efforts from all leaders.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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