Deborah Akinyosoye
Dr Sulaiman Olanrewaju, the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Sunday faulted former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State over the allegation that Makinde received ₦50 billion from the Federal Government and secretly saved it to fund a presidential ambition.
In the rebuttal, Olanrewaju described the allegations as “misleading and deliberately disingenuous.”
Dr Olanrewaju clarified that the ₦50 billion often cited by critics was only a promised support package following the tragic January 2024 Bodija explosion. Of this sum, only ₦30 billion was released, while the remaining ₦20 billion was withheld due to demands for inducements, which Governor Makinde reportedly refused.
“The issue is not about promises. It is about what was done with the funds that were released,” the aide said. According to him, the ₦30 billion was used transparently, with ₦4.5 billion disbursed directly to victims, while the remainder went into rebuilding, road repairs, security upgrades, and memorial plans for the affected community.
The media adviser suggested that the renewed political attacks against Governor Makinde are retaliatory, following his recent statement that he would not support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, despite supporting him in 2023.
“These actions are not driven by principle. They are driven by desperation,” he said, condemning recent attempts to manipulate PDP structures in Oyo State.
The media aide emphasised that truth cannot be a casualty of political machinations and called on Nigerians to judge Governor Makinde by the facts and the performance of his administration, rather than what he described as “half-truths and political mischief.”
“Governor Makinde has made his position clear: he will not be complicit in coercion or intimidation. And if he must stand alone, he will stand, but he is not alone,” Dr Olanrewaju said.