Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has refuted allegations by former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose that he misappropriated part of a N50 billion federal intervention fund released after the January 2024 Ibadan explosion, describing the claims as false, misleading, and politically motivated.

Fayose had accused Makinde of receiving N50 billion from the federal government without publicly disclosing it, claiming that a substantial portion of the funds was allegedly diverted for political purposes.

Responding on Sunday, Makinde’s Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, clarified that the federal government released only N30 billion to Oyo State, not N50 billion as alleged.

“The federal government did not give Governor Makinde N50 billion. What exists on record is a request and a promise, not a disbursement,” Olanrewaju said, adding that documents cited to support Fayose’s claim merely showed a proposal, not an actual release of funds.

The statement explained that after the January 2024 explosion in Bodija, Ibadan—which resulted in deaths and property destruction—Governor Makinde traveled to Abuja with a detailed assessment report to request federal assistance, particularly after President Bola Tinubu did not visit the state.

Olanrewaju added that while the federal government initially promised a N50 billion intervention package, only N30 billion was eventually released. “A promise is not a release. When it was time to act, only N30 billion was released,” he said, noting that the remaining N20 billion was withheld after conditions linked to inducements were introduced, which Makinde rejected.

He further stressed that the governor deliberately avoided publicizing the negotiations surrounding the tragedy, focusing instead on relief and recovery efforts for affected residents.