Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, 22 January 2026, held separate meetings with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, at the Presidential Villa, also known as Aso Rock, the seat of Nigeria’s federal government in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
Okay News reports that the two state leaders arrived at the State House at different times on Thursday afternoon, with Governor Mutfwang arriving first at about 3:00 in the afternoon, while Governor Makinde arrived around 3:30 in the afternoon.
The visits are coming at a time of shifting political alliances in Nigeria, as politicians and parties begin consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections, when Nigerians are expected to vote for a new president and lawmakers.
Governor Makinde leads Oyo State, a major state in south-west Nigeria, and he belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), one of Nigeria’s main opposition parties. In recent months, the PDP has faced a wave of defections as several politicians move to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but Makinde remains one of the few PDP governors still holding the opposition line.
Political watchers also see Makinde as a key figure to watch ahead of 2027, with growing talk that he may seek the PDP’s presidential ticket for the next election cycle, even though he has not publicly laid out details of any ambition in this report.
Governor Mutfwang, who governs Plateau State in north-central Nigeria, was recently reported to have left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), adding to the list of opposition figures who have aligned with the party controlling the federal government. Thursday’s engagement at Aso Rock was described as his first known meeting with President Tinubu since his reported defection.
In recent months, President Tinubu has also met with several governors across party lines, a pattern that has continued as the country moves closer to the next national election season.
Details later…
