Gov. Makinde,
The Oyo State Government has dismissed allegations that Governor Seyi Makinde received and diverted ₦50 billion from the Federal Government to fund a presidential ambition, describing the claim as false and politically motivated.
Dr Sulaiman Olanrewaju, Special Adviser on Media to the governor, made the clarification on Sunday while responding to comments credited to former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
He said the allegation was misleading and deliberately intended to distort facts.
According to Olanrewaju, the much-talked-about ₦50 billion was not a lump sum received by the state government but a support package promised by the Federal Government in the aftermath of the January 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan.
He explained that only ₦30 billion of the promised amount was eventually released.
He further alleged that the remaining ₦20 billion was withheld after demands were made for inducements, which Governor Makinde reportedly rejected.
“The issue is not about what was promised but what was actually released and how it was utilised,” Olanrewaju said.
He noted that the ₦30 billion received was transparently deployed, with ₦4.5 billion paid directly to victims of the explosion, while the balance was used for reconstruction efforts, road repairs, enhanced security infrastructure, and plans for a memorial at the disaster site.
The media aide suggested that the renewed criticism of the governor was politically motivated, linking it to Makinde’s recent declaration that he would not support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, despite backing him in the 2023 presidential election.
Olanrewaju described the attacks as acts of desperation, accusing some political actors of attempting to manipulate the Peoples Democratic Party’s structures in Oyo State.
He urged Nigerians to focus on verifiable facts and the performance of the Makinde administration, rather than what he termed half-truths and political mischief.
“Governor Makinde has been consistent in his refusal to yield to coercion or intimidation. He has chosen to stand by his principles, regardless of political pressure,” he said.
