President Bola Tinubu on Thursday met separately with Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State at the State House, Abuja.
The meetings were held behind closed doors at the president’s office.
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Mr Makinde arrived shortly after Mr Mutfwang and proceeded directly to the president’s office.
The meetings come amid ongoing political realignments and consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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Mr Makinde, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), remains one of the opposition governors in the country.
Speaking after the meeting, the Oyo State governor said addressing Nigeria’s challenges requires bipartisan cooperation and contributions from all political parties.
“We may have issues in this country where you need a bipartisan approach, where there won’t be an issue of APC talking alone or PDP talking alone.
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“A situation where we will have to look at what is the best foot forward in the interest of our nation.
“So, when you get to that junction, you need everybody on board,” he said.
Asked if he was considering defecting to the APC, Mr Makinde said, “I am comfortable in the PDP. ”
In the last few months, six PDP governors have moved to the ruling APC. They are Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Agbu Kefas (Taraba) and Mr Mutfwang.
Mr Makinde, who is in his second term, was a member of the G5, a group of five governors who opposed the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election.
The other governors at the time were Nyesom Wike (Rivers), who is currently serving in the APC administration as FCT minister; Samuel Ortom (Benue); Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia); and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).
Both Messrs Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi are ambassadors-designate.
In December, Mr Makinde said he would not support President Tinubu’s reelection bid in 2027.
He said Mr Wike had the right to support the president, but he and others should be allowed to ensure that democracy survives in the country.
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“The real issue is that Wike would like to support the President for 2027. That’s fine; it is within his rights. But some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria and that the PDP survives as well. He should allow us to make our own choices.
“I tried to engage him through a mutual friend, but when he did not back off, I confronted him directly. From that day, I made it clear I would never be part of this. Wike can support him, but it is also within my right to decide who I will support or what I will do in 2027. This explains the current conflict within the PDP,” he said.
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