Oyo Governor Makinde Challenges Wike on Alleged N50bn Airport Funding

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who is also the Presidential candidate for the Allied Peoples Movement, has strongly refuted claims made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Makinde accused Wike of dishonesty regarding an alleged N50 billion financial allocation from the Federal Government for the upgrade of the Ibadan International Airport.

Speaking to his supporters at the Makinde/Daura 2027 Presidential Town Hall meeting held in Katsina on Tuesday, Governor Makinde asserted that the Oyo State Government did not receive any N50 billion from the Federal Government for the project. He stressed that the expansion of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport in Ibadan was entirely financed by the state government's own funds.

Minister Wike had, during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme on Monday, stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration provided N50 billion to the Oyo State Government to support the airport upgrade.

Responding to Wike’s statement during the televised meeting, Governor Makinde firmly maintained that the state government undertook the airport project without the purported Federal Government funding. He reiterated that the assertion of N50 billion being provided for the airport was false.

Makinde stated, “We are here at the Northwest Consultative Meeting. We met with our candidate, stakeholders, and listened to you. But before I go into a few things, let me start by saying that my attention was drawn to an interview granted yesterday by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, where he said that the President gave N50 billion to Oyo State to upgrade the Ibadan Airport to international standards. I want to say that claim is false. The President did not give me or Oyo State N50 billion to upgrade the Ibadan Airport. The Ibadan Airport upgrade project is being undertaken 100 per cent with the funds of Oyo State.”