The political atmosphere in Oyo State has intensified as the All Progressives Congress (APC) issued a stern ultimatum to Governor Seyi Makinde. The opposition party has demanded that the governor provide a detailed account of a N50 billion Relief Fund he allegedly received from President Bola Tinubu following the tragic Bodija GRA explosion, or immediately resign from office.
The Core Allegations and Fayose's Revelation
This demand, made public on Sunday, 28 December 2025, stems from a revelation by a former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose. During a live television interview aired on Friday from a Lagos-based station, Fayose disclosed that Governor Makinde secured the massive fund from the President during a visit to brief him on the January 2024 explosion. Fayose claimed that Makinde has since failed to either acknowledge receiving the money or use it to provide succour for the victims who lost lives and properties in the devastating incident.
In a statement released by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the Oyo State APC chapter strongly criticized Governor Makinde. The party condemned the governor for recent disparaging remarks against President Tinubu and the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, made during a media chat. In that chat, Makinde was quoted as saying he rejected a request from the President to reorganize the state APC and that the Power Minister lacked capacity.
A Pattern of Financial Mismanagement?
The APC's statement went beyond the relief fund, painting a picture of systemic financial impropriety. It accused Governor Makinde of becoming "the new face of sleaze" upon assuming office in 2019. The party alleged a pattern of reviewing existing government contracts and inflating their costs astronomically.
The opposition highlighted two specific projects as examples: the renovation of the Agodi Government House, awarded at N63.5 billion, and the second phase of the Ibadan Circular Road Project, awarded at a staggering N259 billion. The APC claimed these contracts were awarded without due process.
Regarding the Ibadan explosion itself, the party questioned the governor's earlier claim of spending N4.5 billion on victims, stating it was done without proper accountability or records. "Now that his close friend and fellow party man has disclosed that a whopping N50b was actually paid... Gov. Makinde should know that a flippant reaction by his media aide cannot suffice," the statement read.
APC's Ultimatum and Political Posturing
The APC firmly rejected the notion that it ever needed reorganization by Governor Makinde, whom it labeled the "Chief Pallbearer of the PDP." The statement concluded with a bold political boast, asserting that "the least amongst the prospective gubernatorial aspirants in our party possesses greater capacity... than the one who merely celebrates window dressing and inflicts hardship."
The party's core demand remains clear: Governor Seyi Makinde must provide a full and transparent explanation to the people of Oyo State and the world regarding the disbursement of the alleged N50 billion federal relief fund intended for the victims of the Bodija tragedy. The alternative, as presented by the APC, is his resignation from office.
