Fayose Releases Evidence of ₦50bn Allegedly Given to Makinde for Ibadan Explosion Victims

Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has released what he described as documentary evidence to back his claim that the Federal Government disbursed ₦50 billion to the Oyo State Government under Seyi Makinde as intervention funds following the January 2024 Ibadan explosion.
Fayose said he initially made the allegation during a national television appearance, where he claimed that Oyo State received the ₦50bn intervention from the Federal Government. He noted that Governor Makinde subsequently challenged him to provide evidence of the claim.
In a statement released on Sunday, Fayose said the documents he has now made public constitute the evidence Makinde demanded. He further alleged that only ₦4.5 billion out of the intervention funds was paid to victims of the Ibadan explosion.
According to Fayose, the remaining funds were allegedly diverted to finance Makinde’s presidential ambition, which he claimed is at the root of the internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the governor’s frequent criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration.
“Even though it is not in my character to go public with official government documents, I had to do this so Nigerians will know who is telling the truth and who has not been sincere with the people of Oyo State,” Fayose said.
He argued that once a sitting governor chooses to disclose details of private meetings held with the President on national television, it becomes the responsibility of concerned citizens to ensure full disclosure of all related facts.
Fayose also challenged Governor Makinde to take legal action against him, insisting that he is prepared to defend his claims in court. He added that there are further documents relating to other intervention funds allegedly received by Oyo State from the Tinubu administration which, according to him, were not disclosed to the public.
The former governor further claimed that he possesses documentary evidence regarding the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, which he said contradicts figures publicly presented by the Makinde administration, noting that he would reveal them at a later time.
“My name is Ayo Fayose. I don’t say what I can’t prove,” he said.