Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has denied receiving N50 billion from President Bola Tinubu for the ongoing upgrade of the Ibadan Airport.
Makinde made the clarification on Tuesday at an APM town hall meeting in Katsina, following comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Wike had claimed during a television programme that the Tinubu administration provided N50 billion to support the Oyo State Government’s plan to upgrade the airport to international standards.
However, Makinde rejected the claim, insisting that the airport project was being financed entirely by the Oyo State Government.
He said, “The President did not give me or Oyo State N50 billion to upgrade the Ibadan Airport. The Ibadan Airport upgrade project is being undertaken 100 per cent with the funds of Oyo State.”
The governor’s media aide, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, also maintained that the Federal Government approved the airport upgrade on the condition that it would be undertaken at no cost to the federal government.
The upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola Airport was launched in September 2024 at an initial cost of N41 billion. The domestic terminal was completed in October 2025, while work on the international terminal and related facilities remains ongoing.
The disagreement over the source of funding comes amid political differences between Makinde and Wike ahead of the 2027 general election, with Makinde now seeking the presidency on the APM platform.
