Key Points

• Makinde says Oyo received N30bn, not N50bn, for Bodija relief
• Fayose’s claim rests on a request document, not proof of payment
• The dispute has intensified political tensions ahead of 2027

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has pushed back against claims by former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose that the Federal Government released N50 billion to Oyo State as relief funds after the January 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan.

Makinde’s response followed remarks Fayose made during a television appearance, where he accused the governor of failing to disclose the alleged release while publicly criticising President Bola Tinubu.

Dispute over relief funds

In a statement issued by Makinde’s media aide, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the governor clarified that Oyo State requested N50 billion but received only N30 billion from the Federal Government.

According to the statement, the document Fayose circulated showed a request for intervention funds, not proof of disbursement.

The aide explained that N4.5 billion of the released funds went directly to victims of the explosion.

He added that the remaining amount covered reconstruction work, infrastructure repairs and additional security measures in the affected area.

Political undertones emerge

Fayose had suggested that Makinde accepted federal support but refused to assist the ruling All Progressives Congress in Oyo State.

Makinde previously confirmed that he declined a request to help organise the APC in the state.

Olanrewaju linked the renewed controversy to Makinde’s recent declaration that he would not support Tinubu’s re election bid in 2027, describing the attacks as politically motivated.

PDP group joins the exchange

A Peoples Democratic Party group in Oyo State, Oyo PDP Visionaries, also weighed in, dismissing Fayose’s claim as misleading.

In a statement signed by its coordinator, Qudus Olayide, the group described the circulated document as a letter of request rather than evidence of payment.

It accused Fayose of attempting to distort facts to discredit the governor.

The group said it initially ignored Fayose’s comments but responded after he published what he described as proof of payment.

APC demands accountability

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State called on Makinde to explain how the alleged N50 billion relief fund was spent or resign from office.

In a statement by its publicity secretary, Olawale Sadare, the party accused the governor of financial recklessness and questioned expenditure on the Bodija explosion.

The APC insisted that if any larger sum was received beyond the N30 billion acknowledged by the state government, the public deserved a clear account of how it was used.

As political camps trade accusations, the dispute has become a flashpoint in the early positioning for the 2027 elections.