The Oyo State Government has dismissed claims by a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, that Governor Seyi Makinde received N50bn from the Federal Government in the aftermath of the January 2024 Bodija explosion.
The Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, described the allegation as misleading and deliberately disingenuous, insisting that no such amount was ever disbursed to the state.
According to information scooped from The Nation newspaper by Mega Icon Magazine, Olanrewaju also rejected insinuations that Makinde deliberately kept silent over the alleged funds in order to stash the money to support a future presidential ambition.
Speaking on the controversy, the governor’s aide said the Federal Government did not release N50bn to Oyo State, noting that this was why Fayose was unable to provide evidence of disbursement when challenged.
“Recent comments attributed to former Governor Ayodele Fayose, alleging that the Federal Government handed N50bn to Seyi Makinde and that the governor chose to stay silent while saving up the money to support his presidential ambition are not only misleading, they are deliberately disingenuous,” Olanrewaju said.
“Let us be clear from the outset. The Federal Government did not give Governor Makinde N50bn. This is why Fayose was unable to provide evidence to show the disbursement when asked to do so. In fact, the memo he shared shows what was not disbursed.”
He clarified that what existed was a request and a promise of support, not a full release of the N50bn often quoted in public discourse.
According to him, following the tragic January 2024 explosion in Bodija, which claimed lives, destroyed homes and traumatised residents, President Bola Tinubu did not visit Oyo State, prompting Governor Makinde to travel to Abuja with a detailed report of the incident and a formal request for Federal Government intervention.
He explained that while the Federal Government promised a N50bn support package after the engagement, only N30bn was eventually released.
“A promise, however, is not a release. When it was time to act, only N30bn was released. This partial release was accompanied by demands for inducements tied to the disbursement of the balance. Governor Makinde refused. As a result, the remaining N20bn was withheld,” Olanrewaju stated.
He argued that it would have been inappropriate for the governor to publicly litigate negotiations around a national tragedy, stressing that what mattered was how the funds released were utilised.
Olanrewaju said Makinde acknowledged Federal Government support during the inauguration of a transparent committee set up to oversee the disbursement of relief funds, adding that the committee ensured accountability and proper utilisation of the money.
He disclosed that part of the N30bn released was transferred directly to victims as immediate support, while the remaining funds were deployed for rebuilding and restoration.
“Roads within the affected axis were repaired, reconstruction is ongoing, and a planned memorial at ground zero will honour the lives lost. Policies and security architecture have also been upgraded to ensure that such an incident does not recur in Oyo State,” he said.
The media aide also clarified that the N4.5bn often cited by the state government referred to direct financial support given to victims, representing about 15 per cent of the total funds 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, while also ensuring that government carried out necessary interventions,” he added.
Olanrewaju linked the renewed controversy to recent political developments, noting that Makinde had openly declared during a media chat that he would not support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
He said the declaration, which followed Makinde’s admission that he regretted supporting Tinubu in 2023, had triggered political hostilities against the governor.
According to him, attempts to portray Makinde as dishonest or ungrateful were driven by desperation and political mischief.
“Half-truths and outright falsehoods may offer temporary comfort to those who trade in political mischief, but they always collapse under the weight of facts,” Olanrewaju said.
He added that Makinde remained resolute in defending democratic principles, insisting that truth did not need protection, but only to be told fully, clearly and without fear.
