Makinde disputes Wike’s account of funding for Ibadan airport upgrade

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has disputed a reported claim by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike that President Bola Tinubu provided ₦50 billion to support the upgrade of Ibadan Airport. Makinde addressed the issue on Tuesday at the Allied Peoples Movement’s North-West Town Hall Meeting in Katsina. He said his attention had been drawn to comments Wike made during a television interview, in which the minister reportedly said the president had provided the money to help bring the airport up to international standards.

Makinde rejected that account, saying the Federal Government had not supplied the funds. He said the project was being undertaken entirely with money from the Oyo State Government. The governor, who is seeking the APM presidential nomination for the 2027 election, also presented the party’s “Reset Nigeria Agenda”.

He said the framework would address economic, educational, security and governance challenges through entrepreneurship, skills development, knowledge and large-scale production. On education, Makinde said a proposed administration would prioritise reliable data on out-of-school children and programmes to return them to classrooms. On security, he referred to the deaths of 37 young Nigerians linked to illegal mining in Niger State and argued that government should address the economic causes of insecurity.

He also advocated greater state participation in mining, while retaining federal regulatory oversight. APM National Chairman Yusuf Mamman Dantalle said the party offered an alternative political direction. Vice-presidential candidate Lawal Musa Daura identified insecurity and poverty as linked challenges in the North-West.

The Katsina meeting was described as part of the party’s nationwide consultations.