Oyo State Governor and Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has rejected a claim by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the Federal Government provided N50 billion for the upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport in Ibadan.
Makinde described the claim as false, insisting that Oyo State financed the airport upgrade entirely from its own resources.
The governor spoke on Tuesday while addressing supporters and stakeholders at the APM North-West Consultative Town Hall meeting in Katsina, as part of his political engagements ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
His reaction followed comments by Wike during an appearance on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout on Monday.
Wike had said President Bola Tinubu supported Makinde with N50 billion to expand and upgrade the Ibadan airport, presenting the alleged intervention as part of the Federal Government’s support for members of the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G5 who supported Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
According to him, Tinubu’s administration had extended financial support to Makinde by providing funds for the airport project.
Makinde, however, disputed the assertion during Tuesday’s town hall meeting.
He said: “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.
“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.”
The exchange has brought fresh attention to the funding of the airport project, particularly because Wike’s claim specifically linked the alleged N50 billion intervention to Tinubu’s support for Makinde.
Makinde and Wike were members of the G5, a group of five PDP governors that opposed the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 election.
The other members were former Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, former Enugu Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and former Benue Governor Samuel Ortom.
Wike has previously argued that he was not the only G5 member who benefited from the Tinubu administration, citing the appointments of Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi as ambassadors and the alleged financial support for Makinde’s airport project.
