Makinde rejects Wike’s account of ₦50bn airport support during APM campaign event

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has rejected 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 spoke at the Allied Peoples Movement’s North-West Town Hall Meeting in Katsina, where he said the airport project was being funded entirely by the Oyo State Government. He described the reported claim about federal funding as false.

The governor used the event to present the APM’s “Reset Nigeria Agenda”, a policy framework focused on economic, educational, security and governance challenges. He said the party’s consultations were being held across the country ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Makinde said a proposed administration would seek to build a productive economy through entrepreneurship, skills development, knowledge and large-scale production.

He argued that Nigeria should move beyond dependence on natural resources and rely more on innovation and productivity. On education, he promised to prioritise accurate data on out-of-school children and programmes to return them to classrooms. On security, he referred to the deaths of 37 Nigerians linked to illegal mining in Niger State and called for legitimate economic opportunities.

He also proposed greater state involvement in mining, with federal regulatory oversight retained. APM National Chairman Yusuf Mamman Dantalle said insecurity had harmed farming, education, businesses and movement. The party’s vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Musa Daura, described insecurity and poverty as connected challenges.

The Katsina meeting was identified as the North-West stage of the party’s nationwide consultations.