The Oyo State Government has clarified that it received N30 billion, not N50 billion, from the Federal Government following the January 2024 Ibadan explosion.
The statement was made on Sunday by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, amid allegations by former Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Fayose had claimed during a television interview that Makinde received N50bn from President Bola Tinubu after the explosion, to which Makinde challenged him to provide evidence.
On Sunday, Fayose, through his former aide Lere Olayinka, posted documents on X, insisting they proved the ₦50bn intervention.
“Two days ago, I said on a national television that Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde got a sum of N50bn from the Federal Government as intervention on the January 2024 explosion in Ibadan.
“Yesterday, the Governor responded by asking me to provide evidence that he received such money, and here is the evidence he asked for,” Fayose said.
The evidence shared by Ayodele Fayose. Photo credit: Lere Olayinka/X
Olanrewaju, in an opinion on Oyo affairs, dismissed the claim as misleading.
“Recent comments attributed to former Governor Ayodele Fayose, alleging that the Federal Government handed N50 billion to Seyi Makinde and that the governor stayed silent to save it for his presidential ambition, are not only misleading, they are deliberately disingenuous.
“The Federal Government did not give Governor Makinde N50 billion. This is why Fayose was unable to provide evidence. In fact, the memo he shared shows what was not disbursed,” he said.
Olanrewaju explained that after the Bodija explosion, Tinubu did not visit Oyo State, saying Makinde personally travelled to Abuja with a comprehensive report and a formal request for support.
“Although the Federal Government promised N50 billion, only N30 billion was released. The remaining ₦20 billion was withheld after Makinde refused demands for inducements.
“When it was time to act, only N30 billion was released. This partial release came with demands for inducements tied to the remaining balance. Governor Makinde refused. As a result, the remaining ₦20 billion was withheld,” he said.
He added that what mattered was the utilisation of released funds, saying a transparent committee oversaw disbursement, ensuring accountability and proper use.
“Of the N30 billion released, some money went directly to victims as immediate support, while the remainder was used for rebuilding and restoration,” Olanrewaju said.
He said reconstruction work is ongoing with roads repaired, security policies upgraded, and a memorial is planned at ground zero.
Fayose, however, maintained that Makinde did not fully disclose federal intervention funds.
“Meanwhile, only N4.5bn was released to victims of the Ibadan explosion. Rather, he diverted this fund and many others to his presidential ambition, which is the reason for the crisis in the PDP and his attacks on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his government.
“Even though it is not in my character to go public with official government documents, I had to do this so that Nigerians will know who is saying the truth, and who has not been sincere with the people of Oyo State.
“Most importantly, if as a governor, you go on national television to disclose part of what transpired in private meetings with the President, it becomes the duty of well-meaning Nigerians to give full disclosure. Lastly, I challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to sue me. I also have proofs of other intervention funds received from Tinubu’s administration which he refused to disclose,” Fayose had claimed.
Olanrewaju said the N4.5 billion represented direct support to victims, or 15 per cent of the total released, with the remainder deployed for reconstruction and other interventions.
“The N4.5 billion often quoted refers to direct support to victims. This represents 15 per cent of the total sum released. Governor Makinde found a way of giving 15 per cent back to landlords and even tenants as direct support in his usual show of empathy,” he said.
He dismissed allegations that Makinde was dishonest or disconnected from his party structure as “dead on arrival,” stressing that the governor remains one of the few serving PDP governors, with a mandate rooted in performance, credibility, and public trust.
“Governor Makinde has made his position clear and would not be complicit. Truth does not need protection. It only needs to be told, fully, clearly, and without fear,” Olanrewaju concluded.
