A political storm erupted on Wednesday as former Ekiti State Governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose, stood by his claims of a high-level political understanding reached in Minna, while aides to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, dismissed the account as outright fabrication.
The controversy centres on Fayose’s account of a closed-door meeting in Niger State between Atiku and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
Fayose’s Allegations
In a detailed statement, Fayose alleged that discussions at the Minna meeting focused on 2027 political permutations under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He claimed that Makinde agreed to join the ADC on the condition that he would emerge as Atiku’s running mate. According to Fayose, the Oyo governor allegedly pledged ₦10 billion — to be released in two tranches — to support what he described as the “proper take-off” of the party.
Fayose further alleged that Makinde promised to deliver Southwest delegates during the party’s primary and leverage political influence in the South-South to strengthen Atiku’s position. He also claimed that a follow-up meeting had been scheduled to hold in Dubai within two weeks.
Atiku’s Camp Responds
However, Atiku’s camp swiftly rejected the claims.
In a rebuttal signed by Ambassador Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President’s team described the story as “a shameless concoction” and “insider fiction.”
The statement denied that any negotiations over a vice-presidential ticket, financial contributions, zoning arrangements or delegate guarantees ever took place.
“At no time did former Vice President Atiku Abubakar engage in the imaginary horse-trading described in that script,” the statement read, urging the public to disregard the publication.
Fayose Fires Back
Unmoved by the rebuttal, Fayose responded by questioning whether Atiku personally authorised the statement.
While expressing respect for the former Vice President, Fayose gave a 48-hour ultimatum for Atiku to publicly disown the rebuttal. He warned that failure to do so would compel him to reveal further details about the Minna meeting, including what he claimed was said about other political actors.
“Should Atiku not publicly disown the statement within the next 48 hours, I will have no option but to spill more beans,” Fayose stated.
Media Aide Joins the Fray
The situation escalated further when Paul Ibe, another media aide to Atiku, issued a sharp response to Fayose.
Ibe clarified that the rebuttal was authored by Ambassador Shaibu, not him, and accused Fayose of confusing identities. In a statement laced with sarcasm, he questioned Fayose’s judgment and mocked the 48-hour ultimatum.
The exchange has added another layer to early political maneuvering ahead of 2027, as alliances, party alignments and strategic calculations begin to take shape.
As of press time, neither Atiku nor Governor Makinde has personally commented on the controversy.
