Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has rejected a claim by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the Federal Government provided N50bn for the upgrade of the Ibadan Airport.
Makinde spoke on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at the Makinde/Daura 2027 Presidential Town Hall meeting in Katsina, a day after Wike made the claim on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout.
Wike had said President Bola Tinubu’s administration supported the Oyo State Government with N50bn for the airport project, citing it while discussing Tinubu’s relationship with members of the former Peoples Democratic Party G5.
But Makinde said neither he nor the state received the alleged funding, insisting that Oyo State was solely responsible for financing the project.
The governor said the claim was false and maintained that the airport upgrade was being executed with state funds.
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The latest dispute concerns the redevelopment of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, Alakia, Ibadan.
Makinde flagged off the project on September 18, 2024, after the state awarded the contract to Craneburg Construction Company for N41bn. The work covers critical aviation infrastructure, including the runway, airfield lighting and terminal facilities.
The domestic terminal upgrade was completed in October 2025, while construction of a new international terminal is ongoing.
The Oyo State Government has maintained that the Federal Government’s approval for the project was granted on the condition that it would be executed at no cost to the Federal Government.
The latest disagreement is therefore over the alleged N50bn intervention, with Wike saying the Tinubu administration provided the money and Makinde disputing the claim.
The exchange comes as both politicians pursue separate political paths ahead of the 2027 general election, with Wike serving as FCT minister and Makinde seeking the presidency on the APM platform.