Dare Babalola
Sulaimon Olarenwaju, the Chief Press Secretary to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, has rubbished ex-Ekiti Gov Ayo Fayose’s allegation that Makinde received N50 billion from President Bola Tinubu following the 2024 Ibadan blast.
Recall that the Ibadan explosion, which rocked Adeyi Avenue in January 2024, left a trail of destruction with five lives lost, 77 injured, and 55 houses damaged. Gov Makinde subsequently visited with President Tinubu at Aso Rock on Jan 22, briefing him on the blast.
During an interview on Channels Television on Friday, Fayose accused Makinde of failing to disclose N50 billion in support from the presidency.
The former governor went further, alleging that the N50bn wasn’t exactly a straightforward deposit into Oyo State’s accounts, but rather a sneaky payoff linked to Makinde’s meeting with Tinubu.
He alleged, “You did not tell Nigerians you got, at the prerogative, at the mercy of Mr President, you got N50 billion in support of the explosion in Ibadan. He never said that to Nigeria. So, the president can say the explosion is not worth more than N10 billion.
“The N50 billion did not come into the coffers of Oyo State. It came with you coming to interface with the president because you came and said you met with the president.
“You only said a part where you said the president told you that ‘go and organise APC (All Progressives Congress) for me and I said I cannot organise. But you did not tell Nigerians what the president did for you and did for the good people of your state.”
Reacting, Olarenwaju, on Saturday afternoon, challenged Fayose to provide evidence for his allegations.
“He who makes an allegation must provide evidence. Let him produce proof for what he claims. It is important to note that Fayose lacks credibility; even his family has publicly denounced him. What credibility does he have? Such a person speaks ordinarily, and we should not pay attention. But if he has made a claim, let him substantiate it,” he told Punch.
When asked whether there was any substance to Fayose’s claim or if any donation was made, Olarenwaju stated, “There is no substance whatsoever. Did the President say anything of the sort? Did the federal government make such a statement? If neither the President nor the federal government said so, who is Fayose to claim it? There was no fifty-billion-naira donation.”
