2027 Battle: Makinde, Fayose Clash Over ₦30bn Bodija Relief Fund

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has pushed back against claims by former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose that the Federal Government released ₦50 billion to Oyo State as relief funds following the January 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Makinde clarified that although Oyo State requested ₦50bn from the Federal Government, only ₦30bn was eventually released, not ₦50bn as alleged.
Fayose had reignited controversy during a television appearance on Friday, accusing Makinde of failing to disclose that he received ₦50bn from the administration of President Bola Tinubu to support victims of the Bodija explosion. Fayose further alleged that Makinde rejected the President’s request to help organise the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, while allegedly keeping quiet about the supposed federal intervention funds.
Responding, Olanrewaju said the document circulated by Fayose only showed a request made by the Oyo State Government, not proof of any ₦50bn disbursement.
“A promise, however, is not a release. What exists on record is a request and a promise, not a disbursement of ₦50bn,” Olanrewaju said.
He explained that of the ₦30bn released, ₦4.5bn was paid directly to victims, while the remaining funds were utilised for reconstruction works, infrastructure upgrades, and enhanced security measures in the affected Bodija area.
Olanrewaju also linked the renewed controversy to Makinde’s recent declaration that he would not support President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, describing the allegations as politically motivated attempts to discredit the governor.
“Half-truths and outright falsehoods may offer temporary comfort to those who trade in political mischief, but they always collapse under the weight of facts,” he said, adding that truth requires no protection, only full disclosure.
Meanwhile, a Peoples Democratic Party group in the state, Oyo PDP-Visionaries, also dismissed Fayose’s claims as misleading. In a statement, its coordinator, Qudus Olayide, said the circulated letter merely listed requests submitted by states and did not amount to an approval or release of funds.
The group accused Fayose of deliberately spreading falsehoods to discredit Makinde and described his actions as shameful and politically motivated.