By Opeyemi Adelakun
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has launched a fresh attack on Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, accusing him of betraying political allies, weakening the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West and pursuing personal political ambitions at the expense of the party.
Speaking during an interview on Wednesday with Starnews NG, Fayose alleged that Makinde installed loyalists across South-West states and sidelined political leaders who supported his rise to power.
According to him, the cohesion that once existed among members of the G5 governors and their allies had broken down because of Makinde’s actions.
“Makinde goes to our states to install cronies and people brought up against us and takes over our structures. We should not be expected to clap for him,” Fayose said.
The former governor claimed he played a significant role in Makinde’s emergence as governor, recalling how he supported him during the party’s governorship primary process.
“I was the one who gave Makinde the flag and supported him to become candidate at the time. Rather than appreciate those efforts, he turned against those who stood by him,” he said.
Fayose also dismissed suggestions that Makinde enjoys widespread acceptance across Yorubaland, insisting that many of the governor’s former political allies have distanced themselves from him.
He further accused Makinde of destroying the PDP in the South-West through actions driven by presidential ambition.
“Governor Makinde personally destroyed the PDP in the South-West. He took over states by storm, planting cronies because of his ambition,” Fayose alleged.
Backing President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, Fayose described the President as the foremost political leader in Yorubaland and questioned Makinde’s chances of mounting a successful challenge in future national politics.
“We have only one leader in Yorubaland and Nigeria today, and that is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he stated.
The former Ekiti governor also criticised Makinde’s decision to publicly disclose private discussions he allegedly had with President Tinubu, describing the move as a political mistake.
“Makinde coming to the public to share private talks with the President was his undoing. Let’s see how far he can go,” Fayose said.
Despite his criticisms, Fayose said he wished the Oyo governor well, while maintaining that political leaders in the South-West would continue to challenge actions they consider detrimental to the region and their political interests.
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