Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate Seyi Makinde has disputed a claim by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that President Bola Tinubu provided N50bn to support the upgrade of the Ibadan airport.
Makinde spoke on Tuesday at the APM north-west town hall meeting in Katsina, held as part of the party’s activities ahead of the 2027 general election.
Wike had said during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday that he was not the only member of the G5 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party benefiting from the Tinubu administration.
According to Wike, the President had also supported Makinde’s airport project financially.
“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.
Makinde, however, rejected the claim, insisting that the state government was solely responsible for funding the airport upgrade.
“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 commenced the upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in September 2024, with the project initially estimated at N41bn.
The upgrade of the domestic terminal was completed in October 2025, while work on the international terminal is still ongoing. The latter includes the provision of facilities for customs and immigration operations.
Wike, a member of the PDP, became a minister under Tinubu in August 2023 and has since supported the President’s bid for a second term.
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Before the 2023 presidential election, Wike and the other members of the G5 — including then-Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu — refused to back Atiku Abubakar, who was the PDP presidential candidate.
The group’s position followed Wike’s rejection of the outcome of the PDP presidential primary, which he alleged had been manipulated in Atiku’s favour.
Wike had contested the primary alongside Atiku and 12 other aspirants, finishing second with 237 votes, while Atiku secured 371 votes.
Makinde has since distanced himself from the G5’s political alignment following his disagreement with Wike over the FCT minister’s decision to support Tinubu’s bid for another term in office.