Oyo State Governor and Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, Seyi Makinde, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of making a false claim about N50bn allegedly given to the state by the Federal Government for the upgrade of the Ibadan International Airport.
Makinde spoke on Tuesday at the Makinde/Daura 2027 Presidential Town Hall meeting in Katsina, where he said Oyo State received no such money from the Federal Government.
He said the expansion of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport in Ibadan was funded entirely by the state government.
Wike had made the N50bn claim on Monday while appearing on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme.
Reacting to the statement at the meeting, which was monitored on television by our correspondent, Makinde said the airport project was carried out without the alleged Federal Government funding.
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.”
