Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has released what he described as documentary evidence to support his claim that the Oyo State Government received N50 billion from the Federal Government as intervention funds following the January 2024 explosion in Ibadan.
Fayose said he had earlier made the allegation during a national television appearance, stating that the funds were approved to support victims of the deadly explosion. According to him, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, subsequently challenged him to provide proof that such funds were received.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Fayose said the documents he released were in response to that challenge. He alleged that despite receiving the N50 billion intervention, only N4.5 billion was eventually disbursed to victims of the explosion.
The former governor accused Makinde of diverting the remaining funds for political purposes, including financing presidential ambitions, which he claimed had contributed to internal crises within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and informed the governor’s criticisms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government.
Fayose said although he was not inclined to make official government documents public, he felt compelled to do so in the interest of transparency and public accountability.
He further argued that since Governor Makinde had allegedly disclosed aspects of private discussions with the President on national television, it was necessary for “well-meaning Nigerians” to provide what he described as full disclosure of the facts.
The former Ekiti governor challenged Makinde to seek legal redress, insisting that he stood by his claims.
He also alleged that there were additional federal intervention funds received by the Oyo State Government under the Tinubu administration which, according to him, were not disclosed to the public.
Fayose added that he possessed documents relating to the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, which he said contradicted figures publicly stated by the governor, but noted that he would not release them at this time.
“I don’t say what I can’t prove,” Fayose said, reaffirming his position on the allegations.
Ayodele Fayose served as Governor of Ekiti State between 2003 and 2006, and again from 2014 to 2018.
