POLITICS
Fayose Releases Alleged Federal Payment Documents, Accuses Makinde of Diverting ₦50bn Ibadan Explosion Fund for Presidential Ambition
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has reignited political controversy with the release of documents he claims prove that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, received ₦50 billion from the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to Fayose, the funds were approved as emergency financial support following the deadly explosion that rocked Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in January 2024, an incident that claimed lives and left many residents injured and displaced.
The allegation follows Governor Makinde’s earlier denial of receiving such an amount from the Federal Government.
Makinde had publicly challenged Fayose to present concrete evidence to back up his claims, insisting that no such ₦50 billion emergency support was received by his administration.
In response to the challenge, Fayose released what he described as official documents detailing the alleged federal disbursement. He further claimed that out of the ₦50 billion purportedly received, only ₦4.5 billion was actually disbursed to victims affected by the Ibadan explosion.
Fayose alleged that the remaining funds were diverted and used to finance Governor Makinde’s alleged presidential ambition, a development he claimed has fueled internal crises within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and informed Makinde’s sustained criticisms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration.
In a statement personally signed by him, Fayose said he decided to make the documents public to allow Nigerians to judge for themselves whether the Oyo State Government has been transparent and truthful in its dealings with public funds.
The former governor also dared Makinde to seek legal redress against him if the allegations were false, while maintaining that there are official records showing that other financial support sent to Oyo State by the Tinubu-led Federal Government was allegedly never disclosed to the public.
Beyond the explosion fund controversy, Fayose further claimed to be in possession of documents revealing the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, which he said differs significantly from figures publicly announced by the state government.
Reaffirming his confidence in the allegations, Fayose said he would not make such grave claims without evidence, adding that he still has additional documents that could be released if the situation demands.
Fayose said:
“Meanwhile, only ₦4.5bn 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.
“Also, there are documentary evidences on the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, as against Governor Makinde’s claim, but we will keep our gunpowder dry for now. My name is still Ayo Fayose, I don’t say what I can’t prove.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Oyo State Government has not issued a fresh response to the newly released documents, while political observers await possible legal or official action that may further clarify the claims and counterclaims surrounding the alleged ₦50 b
illion federal support.