‘I Don’t Talk Without Proof’ — Fayose Releases Evidence of Makinde’s Alleged ₦50bn Payment From Tinubu

• Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has escalated his war of words with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, releasing alleged documents to back his claim that ₦50bn intervention funds meant for Ibadan explosion victims were mismanaged.

The political storm between former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, intensified on Tuesday as Fayose released what he described as documentary evidence to support his claim that ₦50bn was received from the Federal Government following the January 2024 Ibadan explosion.

Fayose had earlier alleged that the Tinubu-led administration approved ₦50bn as intervention funds for victims of the deadly Ibadan blast. In response, Governor Makinde publicly challenged Fayose to produce evidence, insisting that no such amount was received by his administration.

Reacting to the challenge, Fayose doubled down, alleging that only ₦4.5bn was officially disbursed to victims, while the remaining funds were diverted for political purposes, including Makinde’s alleged presidential ambition. According to Fayose, this alleged diversion is at the heart of the growing crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Makinde’s repeated attacks on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a strongly worded statement, Fayose said he was compelled to release official documents—something he claimed was against his usual practice—in order to let Nigerians judge for themselves.

“Even though it is not in my character to go public with official government documents, I had to do this so that Nigerians will know who is saying the truth and who has not been sincere with the people of Oyo State,” Fayose said.

See evidence below:

He further criticised Governor Makinde for publicly discussing parts of a private meeting with President Tinubu without full disclosure, insisting that transparency becomes mandatory once such matters are taken to national television.

“Most importantly, if as a governor you have elected to go on national television to disclose part of what transpired in private meetings you had with the President, it becomes the duty of well-meaning Nigerians to give full disclosure,” he stated.

Taking the confrontation a step further, Fayose openly challenged Makinde to take legal action against him, warning that more revelations were on the way if the governor chose that path.

“I challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to sue me on this. Let me also tell him that there are proofs of other intervention funds received from Tinubu’s administration by the Oyo State Government, which the governor refused to disclose to the people,” Fayose warned.

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He also hinted at possessing documents relating to Oyo State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), suggesting that the figures publicly presented by the Makinde administration may not tell the full story.

“There are documentary evidences on the actual IGR of Oyo State as against Governor Makinde’s claim, but we will keep our gunpowder dry for now,” he added.

Reaffirming his stance, Fayose concluded with a characteristically defiant note: “My name is still Ayo Fayose. I don’t say what I can’t prove.”

The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of deepening cracks within the PDP. Makinde and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike were both members of the influential G5 governors who backed President Tinubu of the APC against their party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 elections. However, post-election alliances have shifted, with Wike and Makinde now backing opposing factions within the party.

Fayose, who has remained openly supportive of President Tinubu and even endorsed APC Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State against a PDP candidate, now appears firmly positioned on the opposite side of Makinde in the ongoing PDP power struggle.

As the allegations, documents, and counterclaims continue to surface, Nigerians are watching closely to see whether Governor Makinde will respond legally—or politically—to Fayose’s latest challenge.