Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has released evidence of N50bn, he claims Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde got from the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over Ibadan explosion

Fayose made the disclosure in a statement on Sunday on his social media handles. Through his former Aude, Lere Olayinka, who claimed on Facebook that although Makinde received N50bn, only N4.5bn was released to victims of the explosion.

However, Fayose, during an interview on TVC alleged that Makinde received N50bn from the Presidency to manage the aftermath of the Ibadan explosion, claiming that the funds did not go directly into the coffers of the state government.

The allegation was further echoed by Fayose’s former aide, Lere Olayinka, who claimed on Facebook that although Makinde received N50bn, only N4.5bn was released to victims of the explosion.

Reacting, Governor Makinde had challenged Fayose to provide evidence to support his claim that he received N50bn from President Tinubu following the January 2024 Ibadan explosion.

Makinde’s Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, dismissed the claims as baseless and challenged Fayose and his allies to substantiate them with evidence.

“There is no substance to the claim. If he (Fayose) has proof that the Federal Government gave N50bn, he should provide it. It is not just about going on air to say rubbish,” Olarenwaju said.

“If he has evidence, he should come forward with it. I don’t think we should waste time on these guys,” he added.

The state government maintained that all actions taken by the Makinde administration in response to the explosion were transparent and aimed at supporting victims and restoring affected communities.

However, to prove his claim, Fayose disclosed, “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.

“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 have elected to go on national television to disclose part of what transpired in private meetings you had with the President, it becomes the duty of well-meaning Nigerians to give full disclosure.

“Lastly, I challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to sue me on this. Let me also tell him that there are proofs of other intervention funds received from Tinubu’s administration by the Oyo State Government, which the governor refused to disclose to the people.

“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.”