Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has denied a claim by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike that President Bola Tinubu provided N50 billion to support the upgrade of the Ibadan Airport.
Makinde described the claim as false, insisting that the project is being funded entirely by the Oyo State Government.
The governor spoke on Tuesday, September 22, during the APM North-West town hall meeting in Katsina, held as part of the party’s campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general election.
Wike had claimed during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday that Tinubu gave N50 billion to support Makinde’s plan to upgrade the airport to international standards.
“President Tinubu provided N50 billion to support Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde’s plan to upgrade Oyo Airport into an international airport. So, it’s not correct to say I’m the only G5 governor benefiting from Tinubu’s government,” Wike said.
Reacting to the claim, Makinde said neither he nor the Oyo State Government received the alleged funds from the Federal Government.
“My attention was called to an interview granted yesterday by the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, where he said that the President gave N50 billion to Oyo State or to me to upgrade the airport in Ibadan to international standards,” Makinde said.
“I want to say that claim is false. The President did not give N50 billion to me or to Oyo State to upgrade the Ibadan Airport. The airport upgrade project is being undertaken 100 per cent with the money of Oyo State.”
Makinde flagged off the upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in September 2024 at an initial cost of N41 billion. The domestic terminal upgrade was completed in October 2025, while work on the full international terminal, including customs and immigration facilities, is still ongoing.
The disagreement comes amid widening political differences between Makinde and Wike ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Both politicians were members of the G5 group of Peoples Democratic Party governors who opposed Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid in the 2023 election. The other members were then-Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
Wike contested the 2022 PDP presidential primary, finishing second with 237 votes behind Atiku, who secured 371 votes. Tinubu appointed Wike as FCT minister in August 2023, and he has since supported the President’s bid for a second term.
Makinde, however, has since broken ranks politically with Wike and is now the APM presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The dispute over the N50 billion remains unresolved, with Wike maintaining that the Tinubu administration provided the funds, while Makinde insists that neither he nor the Oyo State Government received any such payment for the airport project.
