A major political storm has erupted between two South-West heavyweights as former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, publicly challenged Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to refund N30 billion in Federal Government intervention funds.
Fayose’s demand follows Makinde’s recent admission that the state received the staggering sum as an intervention for the January 16, 2024, Bodija explosion victims—funds Fayose claims were kept hidden from the public until he “blew the whistle.”
In a scathing statement released on Thursday through his spokesperson, Femi Philips, Fayose accused the Oyo State Governor of lack of transparency and “playing politics” with the lives of disaster victims. He argued that if the money has not been utilized for its intended purpose, it should be returned to the federal coffers immediately.
“Since Governor Makinde has now said that he kept the N30 billion he admitted to have received in a bank since 2024, Oyo State Government should return the money to the Federal Government so it can be used for the people for which the money was meant,” Fayose declared.
He further suggested that the federal authorities are better equipped to handle the distribution if the state leadership is unwilling to act: “After all, the Federal Government has mechanisms to reach victims of the explosion since their Governor has chosen to play politics with their welfare.”