Makinde Did Not Receive ₦50bn After Ibadan Explosion

Makinde Did Not Receive ₦50bn After Ibadan Explosion, Oyo Govt Tells Fayose
Aides challenge Fayose to provide proof of alleged funds
Allegation linked to Ibadan explosion and political tensions

The Oyo State Government has dismissed claims by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, that Governor Seyi Makinde received ₦50 billion from President Bola Tinubu following the January 2024 Ibadan explosion.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that reacting to the allegation, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, challenged Fayose to provide evidence to support his claim.

Speaking in a telephone interview on Saturday, Olarenwaju questioned Fayose’s credibility and insisted that no such financial support was received by the Oyo State Government.

“He who makes an allegation must provide evidence. Let him produce proof for what he claims. It is important to note that Fayose lacks credibility; even his family has denounced him. What credibility does he have? Such a person speaks ordinarily, and we should not pay attention. But if he has made a claim, let him substantiate it,” Olarenwaju said.

The Ibadan explosion occurred in January 2024 at Adeyi Avenue, Ibadan, killing five people, injuring 77 others, and damaging about 55 houses. Following the incident, Governor Makinde visited the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on January 22, 2024, where he presented a report on the explosion to President Tinubu.

Fayose, during an interview on TVC on Friday, alleged that Makinde failed to disclose that he secured ₦50bn in support from the presidency after the incident. He claimed the funds were tied to Makinde’s meeting with the President and did not pass through the Oyo State treasury.

“You did not tell Nigerians you got, at the prerogative, at the mercy of Mr President, you got ₦50 billion in support of the explosion in Ibadan. He never said that to Nigeria,” Fayose said.

Responding, Olarenwaju asked whether either the President or the Federal Government had acknowledged such a donation.

“There is no substance whatsoever. Did the President say anything of the sort? Did the federal government make such a statement? If neither the President nor the federal government said so, who is Fayose to claim it? There was no fifty billion naira donation,” he said.

Fayose’s comments come amid rising political tensions, following Makinde’s earlier declaration that he would not support President Tinubu in the 2027 election and his refusal to organise the APC in Oyo State.

Fayose also criticised Makinde for making private discussions public and predicted that the governor’s preferred candidate would not contest under the Peoples Democratic Party.

He further reaffirmed his loyalty to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, saying, “I’m a Wike person. Anywhere Wike is, that is where I am. I will never join the APC.”