Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has fired back at Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the claim that President Bola Tinubu gave him ₦50bn to upgrade the Ibadan Airport.
Makinde described the claim as false, insisting that the Federal Government did not give him or Oyo State the alleged ₦50bn for the project.
The governor spoke on Tuesday at an APM North-West town hall meeting in Katsina, where he presented his party’s “Reset Nigeria” agenda ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Makinde said he was alerted to Wike’s recent television interview in which the FCT minister claimed that Tinubu provided ₦50bn to support the upgrade of Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, to international standards.
He, however, dismissed the claim and maintained that the airport project was being financed entirely by the Oyo State Government.
“My attention was called to an interview granted by the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, where he said the President gave ₦50 billion to Oyo State or to me to upgrade the airport in Ibadan to international standards.
“I want to say that claim is false. The President didn’t give ₦50 billion to me or to Oyo State to upgrade the Ibadan Airport. The project is being undertaken 100 per cent with the state’s resources,” Makinde said.
The airport funding controversy came as Makinde stepped up his campaign activities, declaring that the 2027 presidential election would not simply be a contest between political parties.
According to him, the election would effectively be a battle between the ruling All Progressives Congress and Nigerians.
“It would not be APC versus APM, or APM versus APC, or APC versus ADC—it will be APC versus Nigerians,” he declared.
Makinde urged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and participate actively in the election, saying his “Reset Nigeria” agenda would focus on the economy, education, insecurity and institutional reforms.
The governor also expressed concern over the country’s security situation, referring to the recent killing of 37 young Nigerians in Niger State.
He further criticised the handling of presidential powers during President Tinubu’s foreign trips, citing Section 145 of the Constitution.
Makinde said he routinely hands over power to his deputy when travelling abroad for an extended period and promised to uphold what he described as the constitutional requirement if elected president in 2027.
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