Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has claimed that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has agreed to run as Vice-President to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Fayose made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday while giving details of a high-level political meeting in Minna, Niger State, involving Atiku, former military Head of State, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, and Makinde.
According to Fayose, the meeting was strategically arranged to test acceptability, secure confidence and align interests across regions, particularly in the build-up to a potential third-force alliance outside the dominant political parties.
He alleged that Makinde agreed to defect to the ADC on the condition that he would be offered the vice-presidential slot, adding that Atiku was receptive to the proposal and was expected to present it to his inner caucus for ratification.
Fayose further claimed that the discussion sidelined former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, over concerns that he would neither accept a deputy role nor gain acceptance in the North as Atiku’s potential successor.
“It is no longer news that Governor Seyi Makinde went to Minna to meet with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. However, what happened behind closed doors was a carefully calculated political engagement,” Fayose said.
He added that Atiku was “70 per cent certain” of clinching the ADC presidential ticket, having allegedly influenced the party’s decision not to zone the ticket.
The former governor further alleged that Makinde pledged an initial sum of N10bn, to be released in two tranches, to support what he described as the “proper take-off” of the ADC, with additional funding promised when campaigns commence.
Fayose said Makinde also assured the meeting that he would mobilise delegates from the South-West for the party’s primary and leverage the influence of his wife, who is from Rivers State, to secure support in the South-South.
“For the general election, using Makinde to divide the South-West votes will give the ADC the needed advantage,” Fayose claimed.
He added that a follow-up meeting had been scheduled for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, within the next two weeks to fine-tune the arrangement.
Neither Atiku nor Makinde has publicly reacted to the claims as of the time of filing this report.
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