A political storm erupted on Thursday as former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, clashed over an alleged 2027 political arrangement involving Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
Atiku dismissed Fayose’s claims as “desperate” and “baseless,” while Fayose threatened to release further details about a controversial meeting held in Minna.
The Minna Meeting
The controversy followed reports of a closed-door meeting between Atiku and Makinde at the residence of former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, in Minna, Niger State.
The meeting immediately sparked speculation of a possible political alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Fayose alleged that Makinde had offered to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as Atiku’s running mate for 2027.
He further claimed that Makinde pledged ₦10 billion to support the party’s restructuring and promised to mobilise delegates to secure Atiku the ADC presidential ticket.
Fayose also alleged that the duo had scheduled a follow-up meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to finalise the purported deal.
Atiku Fires Back
Reacting through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku categorically denied the allegations, describing them as a “reckless and malicious fabrication.”
He insisted that no negotiations took place regarding a vice-presidential slot, financial contributions, zoning arrangements, or any clandestine meeting abroad.
“At no time did former Vice President Atiku Abubakar engage in the imaginary horse-trading described,” the statement read.
“There were no negotiations over vice-presidential tickets. There were no discussions about ₦10 billion contributions. There were no zoning manipulations. There were no delegate-delivery guarantees. And there is certainly no clandestine Dubai meeting.”
The former vice president urged the public to disregard the publication, calling it “insider fiction manufactured to mislead and provoke.”
He maintained that his political engagements remain “broad-based, principled, and national in scope,” rather than transactional or secretive as alleged.
Fayose Responds, Issues 48-Hour Ultimatum
Unmoved by Atiku’s rebuttal, Fayose doubled down in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account late Thursday.
While expressing respect for Atiku, Fayose suggested that the former vice president may not have authorised the statement issued on his behalf and demanded a public disavowal within 48 hours.
He warned that failure to retract the statement would compel him to reveal further details about the Minna meeting — including alleged discussions concerning the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
“Should Atiku not publicly disown the statement within the next 48 hours, I will have no option but to spill more beans,” Fayose wrote, adding that he would thereafter proceed “without any atom of respect.”
Oyo APC, PDP Join the Fray
The dispute has since spilled into Oyo State’s political arena, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) trading accusations.
The Oyo APC, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, alleged that the Minna meeting formed part of a “political contract” that could expose the state’s financial resources to fund Atiku’s 2027 ambition.
The party accused both Atiku and Makinde of allowing “selfishness and desperation” to override political conscience, while vowing to resist any attempt to divert state resources for presidential pursuits.
The APC further alleged that Atiku has a history of seeking financial backing from southern governors to fund his presidential bids.
However, the PDP dismissed the claims, insisting that no such political deal exists and describing the allegations as baseless political propaganda.
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