Fayose releases document in N50bn row, Oyo PDP group dismisses claim

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has presented a document which he claims is evidence that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, received N50 billion from the Federal Government for victims of the January 2024 Ibadan explosion.

This comes days after Fayose alleged in a TV interview that Makinde got the funds, and follows a direct challenge from Makinde’s office for him to provide proof.

In a statement on Sunday, Fayose said he released the document because Makinde had “elected to go on national television to disclose part of what transpired in private meetings” with President Bola Tinubu.

Fayose alleged that only N4.5 billion was released to victims, accusing Makinde of diverting the rest to fund his presidential ambition, which he claims is the root of the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, an Oyo State PDP group, Oyo PDP-Visionaries, has strongly dismissed Fayose’s claim. The group, in a statement by its coordinator Qudus Olayide, described the allegation as misleading and based on “half-education.”

The group asserted that the document Fayose presented is merely a request letter from the Ministry of Finance, not proof of approval or disbursement.

They challenged Fayose to publish a document showing the actual approval of the N50 billion, stating that not all Nigerians are unable to “distinguish between a request and an approval.”

The group accused Fayose of being motivated by personal interests and engaging in “low-level, opportunistic politics” to distract Governor Makinde, whom they hailed as a transparent leader.

Governor Makinde’s Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, had earlier dismissed the N50bn claim as baseless “rubbish,” challenging Fayose to provide evidence. The state government maintains that its response to the explosion, which killed five and destroyed 55 houses, has been transparent.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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