The visit, days after Obasanjo’s public feud with Atiku, has fuelled speculation over alliances forming ahead of 2027
Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State; Kayode Fayemi, former Governor of Ekiti State; and Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Governor of Osun State, have visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State, amid political permutations ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a terse Facebook post, Makinde said the trio visited the former president on Sunday, with discussions centred on a range of national issues ahead of the next general election.
“Earlier today, we visited Baba, His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR in Abeokuta,” Makinde wrote.
“Our discussions centred on important national issues in view of the upcoming general election. We appreciate Baba for his wise counsel at this crucial time in our nation’s history.”
Why the visit is tied to Makinde’s presidential bid
In May, Makinde, who is completing his second term as Oyo governor, formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking at a joint mega rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Ibadan, he said “the time to reset Nigeria is now,” describing the country’s situation as having “continued to deteriorate, putting the majority of Nigerians on survival mode on a daily basis,” and accused government officials responsible for citizens’ welfare of abdicating their responsibilities.
Makinde, the APM’s presidential candidate, is expected to contest the election alongside former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and President Bola Tinubu, who is seeking re-election.
Although Oyinlola is a chieftain of the PDP and Fayemi remains a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), there is speculation that the meeting with Obasanjo may be connected to Makinde’s presidential bid.
Obasanjo has not publicly declared who he will support in 2027, though he is widely believed to be sympathetic to Obi’s ambition, having previously backed Obi’s Labour Party candidacy in the 2023 election as part of a self-styled “Third Force” push.
The visit follows Obasanjo’s public feud with Atiku
The former president has been in the spotlight in recent days after alleging that Atiku gave the late Ghali Na’Abba, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, N5 million to begin impeachment proceedings against him during his first term in office, an allegation Atiku has firmly denied. Reacting, Atiku accused the former president of fabricating the allegations to favour his kinsman ahead of the 2027 elections.
Abeokuta has become a frequent stop for politicians positioning themselves ahead of 2027. Atiku himself visited Obasanjo at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in February 2025, though he dismissed any link to the elections at the time, describing it as a courtesy visit.
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