Seyi Makinde, Oyo State governor, has challenged former Ayo Fayose, a former Ekiti State governor, to provide evidence to support his claim that he received N50 billion from President Bola Tinubu following the January 2024 explosion in Ibadan.
Makinde had visited President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja in January 2024 to submit report on the incident, which claimed five lives, injured 77 people and destroyed about 55 houses in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
However, in an interview on Friday, Fayose alleged that Tinubu released N50bn to Makinde to address the aftermath of the incident.
The former governor further claimed that the funds were not paid directly into the Oyo State Government’s accounts.
Lere Olayinka, former aide to Fayose and now a spokesperson to Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), amplified the allegation in a Facebook post.
“Ibadan Gomina General got N50bn from Tinubu’s govt, only to release N4.5bn to victims of Ibadan explosion of January 2024,” Olayinka wrote.
Reacting to the claims in an interview with PUNCH, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, chief press secretary to the Oyo State governor, dismissed the allegation as unfounded.
“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.”
The Oyo State Government said the Makinde administration’s response to the explosion was handled openly and focused on assisting victims and rebuilding affected areas.