The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has called on Governor Seyi Makinde to provide a detailed account of an alleged ₦50 billion relief fund purportedly disbursed by the federal government for victims of the January 18, 2024, Ibadan explosion.

In a statement released on Sunday, Olawale Sadare, APC’s state publicity secretary, said the people of Oyo deserve transparency on how the alleged funds were spent.

The explosion at Aderinola Street, Bodija, killed at least five people and destroyed over 50 buildings. Authorities linked the incident to illegal miners storing explosives in one of the affected buildings. In its aftermath, Makinde submitted a report on the disaster to President Bola Tinubu, and the state government approved ₦4.5 billion as financial support for survivors and victims.

However, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose alleged during a TVC interview that Makinde received ₦50 billion from the federal government, claiming the funds did not enter the state’s official accounts.

Makinde’s Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, dismissed the claim as baseless, urging Fayose to provide evidence. On Sunday, Fayose circulated a document purportedly from the Accountant-General of the Federation indicating that ₦50 billion was requested as “intervention funding support for the reconstruction of Old Bodija and environs after the Bodija explosion.” The statement was shared on X by Lere Olayinka, media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

Sadare insisted that Makinde clarify the use of the alleged ₦50 billion, describing the earlier response from the governor’s media aide as insufficient.

“On the issue of Ibadan explosion, Gov. Makinde claimed to have spent ₦4.5b on the victims even without accountability or proper record to show who got what. Now that his close friend and fellow party man has disclosed that a whopping ₦50 billion was actually paid into the coffers of the Oyo state government as a relief fund by the federal government, Gov. Makinde should know that a flippant reaction by his media aide cannot be enough as the whole world needs to know what he did with the money,” the statement read.

The APC also dismissed Makinde’s comment that President Tinubu asked him to “organise” the APC in Oyo State, arguing that any governorship aspirant in the party is more capable than the PDP governor.

“…It should be on record that there was never a time that Oyo APC required reorganisation in the hand of Makinde who has emerged chief pall bearer of the PDP, which gave him the platform to be a governor for two consecutive times. As it stands now, the least amongst the prospective gubernatorial aspirants in our party possesses greater capacity to be innovative, creative and successful as the state governor than the one who merely celebrates window dressing and inflicts hardship on property owners and other residents across the state,” Sadare added.

The controversy has reignited debates over fund accountability and political rivalry in Oyo State, as the APC pressures Makinde to clarify the fate of the alleged federal relief fund.