The Chief Press Secretary to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, has dismissed former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose’s declare that Makinde obtained N50 billion in help from President Bola Tinubu following the 2024 Ibadan explosion.
The Ibadan explosion, which occurred in January 2024 at Adeyi Avenue, killed 5 folks, injured 77, and broken about 55 homes. Makinde had visited Aso Rock on January 22 to current a report of the incident to President Tinubu.
Olarenwaju, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Saturday afternoon, challenged Fayose to offer proof for his allegations.
“He who makes an allegation should present proof. Let him produce proof for what he claims. You will need to word that Fayose lacks credibility; even his household has publicly denounced him. What credibility does he have? Such an individual speaks ordinarily, and we must always not concentrate. But when he has made a declare, let him substantiate it,” he stated.
The CPS was reacting to remarks made by Fayose on TVC on Friday, by which the previous governor accused Makinde of failing to reveal N50 billion in help from the presidency.
Fayose claimed the N50 billion was not deposited immediately into Oyo State coffers however was tied to Makinde’s assembly with the president.
“You didn’t inform Nigerians you bought, on the prerogative, on the mercy of Mr President, you bought N50 billion in help of the explosion in Ibadan. He by no means stated that to Nigeria. So, the president can say the explosion will not be price greater than N10 billion.
“The N50 billion didn’t come into the coffers of Oyo State. It got here with you coming to interface with the president since you got here and stated you met with the president,” Fayose stated, including:
“You solely stated an element the place you stated the president informed you that ‘go and organise APC (All Progressives Congress) for me and I stated I can not organise. However you didn’t inform Nigerians what the president did for you and did for the great folks of your state.”
When requested whether or not there was any substance to Fayose’s declare or if any donation was made, Olarenwaju said:
“There isn’t a substance in any way. Did the President say something of the type? Did the federal authorities make such a press release? If neither the President nor the federal authorities stated so, who’s Fayose to say it? There was no fifty-billion-naira donation.”
Whereas there isn’t a verified proof from Fayose, his claims comply with Makinde’s earlier disclosure that he would not support Tinubu within the 2027 election. There, he had added that he turned down a request to assist organise the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State:
Fayose additionally criticised Makinde for revealing non-public conversations with the president within the media, citing an analogous previous expertise:
“He known as me after an interview and stated what he informed me about not contesting towards the president was non-public. It was not presupposed to be public, and I used to be doing it in his curiosity in order that they don’t drag his title into the competition.
However the identical Governor Makinde went to the general public and stated all of the discussions he had with the president and that he’s not going to be a part of the president’s reelection. And I’m telling you, Governor Makinde’s candidate is not going to contest underneath the platform of the PDP.”
Aligning with the Wike-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP), he reaffirmed his loyalty to Minister Nyesom Wike:
“I’m a Wike particular person. Wherever Wike is, that’s the place I’m. I’ll by no means be part of the APC.”
The feedback come amid ongoing inner PDP disputes, which have produced two factions: the Wike-led faction, underneath which Fayose aligns, and the Kabiru Turaki-led faction, to which Makinde belongs.
