Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has published documents he says back up his allegation that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, received N50 billion from the Federal Government as an intervention package after the January 2024 Ibadan explosion.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Fayose released the documents alongside a memo purportedly from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. He explained that the move was prompted by Makinde’s public demand for proof following Fayose’s earlier assertion.
“Two days ago, I stated on national television that Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde received N50bn from the Federal Government as intervention for the Ibadan explosion. Yesterday, the governor asked me to provide evidence, and here is the evidence he requested,” Fayose said.
The former governor went on to accuse the Oyo State administration of failing to properly apply the funds, claiming that only a fraction reached those affected by the disaster.
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“Only N4.5bn was paid to victims of the Ibadan explosion. The rest, alongside other intervention funds, was diverted to fund his presidential ambition. This, in part, explains the crisis in the PDP and his frequent attacks on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration,” he alleged.
Fayose said he decided to make the documents public in the interest of openness, despite his usual reluctance to release official records.
“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 saying the truth and who has not been sincere with the people of Oyo State,” he said.
He added that Makinde’s alleged references to details of a private meeting with President Tinubu made it necessary to disclose more information to the public.
Fayose also dared the Oyo State governor to seek redress in court if he believed the claims were untrue, maintaining that he was prepared to defend his position with evidence.
“I challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to sue me on this. There are also proofs of other intervention funds received from Tinubu’s administration by the Oyo State Government which the governor refused to disclose to the people,” he said.
In addition, Fayose claimed he possesses documents that contradict the state government’s publicly stated figures on internally generated revenue, noting that he may reveal them in the future.
“There are documentary evidences on the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, as against Governor Makinde’s claim, but we will keep our gunpowder dry for now.
“My name is still Ayo Fayose. I don’t say what I can’t prove,” he said.
