Airport project: We didn’t get N50bn from Tinubu, Makinde replies Wike

Presidential Candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has denied the claim by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu supported Oyo State with the sum of N50 billion for the upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport, Ibadan.

Makinde, who spoke while addressing supporters at the Makinde/Daura 2027 Presidential Town Hall meeting in Katsina on Tuesday, said the Oyo State Government did not receive any N50bn from the Federal Government, adding that the expansion of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport, Ibadan, was fully funded by the state government.

Wike, while appearing on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme on Monday, had claimed that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration supported the Oyo State Government with a whopping N50bn for the airport project.

Makinde said, “We are here at the Northwest Consultative Meeting. We met with our candidates, stakeholders, and listened to you.

“But before I go into a few things, let me start by saying that my attention was drawn to an interview granted yesterday by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, where he said that the President gave N50 billion to Oyo State to upgrade the Ibadan Airport to international standards.

“I want to say that claim is false. The President did not give me or Oyo State N50 billion to upgrade the Ibadan Airport. The Ibadan Airport upgrade project is being undertaken 100 per cent with the funds of Oyo State.”

Speaking on the prevailing situation of President Tinubu not transferring power to the Vice President Kashim Shettima, Makinde vowed to transmit power to the Vice President whenever he is unavailable, promising to obey the Constitution ‘to the letter’ if elected president in 2027.

He said his pledge on presidential power transfer was consistent with Section 145 of the Constitution, which requires the President to transmit a written declaration to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives when proceeding on vacation or otherwise unable to discharge the functions of office.

“I promise you that, as your President, I will follow the Constitution to the letter. If I am not going to be available, if I am on vacation, I will transmit power to the Vice President. Record this and hold me accountable,” he said.

On education, Makinde promised to establish reliable data on the number of out-of-school children and develop measures to return them to school.

Makinde also called for mining to be removed from the Exclusive Legislative List and devolved to the states, with the Federal Government retaining oversight.

On the 2027 election, he urged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, and participate in the poll.

“For the election, I maintain and repeat it: it won’t be APC versus APM, or APM versus ADC, or ADC versus NDC. It will be APC versus Nigerians,” he said.

Earlier, APM Vice-Presidential Candidate, Lawal Daura, said the North-West was yearning for change, identifying insecurity and poverty as the region’s serious challenges.

“The North-West, and indeed Nigeria at large, is yearning for resetting. Here in the North-West, some of our most prominent and pressing problems include, insecurity, and, of course, the twin brother of insecurity, which is poverty,” Daura said.

He said Makinde’s proposed reset aligned with his own belief that Nigeria needed fundamental change, urging supporters to exercise their civic rights and vote for the APM ticket.

Daura said the details of the proposed agenda would be unveiled as the campaign progresses.

“It is real. It is sincere. It is honest, and it is going to deliver,” he said.