Makinde Rejects Wike’s Claim of N50bn Tinubu Funding for Ibadan Airport

Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has rejected a claim by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that President Bola Tinubu provided N50 billion to support the upgrade of the Ibadan Airport.

Makinde described the claim as false, insisting that the ongoing upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, was being funded entirely by the Oyo State Government.

He spoke on Tuesday at the APM North-West Town Hall Meeting in Katsina, following comments made by Wike during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday.

Wike had said Tinubu provided N50 billion to support Makinde’s plan to upgrade the airport to international standards. He cited the alleged funding while arguing that he was not the only member of the former Peoples Democratic Party G5 group benefiting from the Tinubu administration.

hat the airport project was being financed with funds from Oyo State.

“The President did not give N50 billion to me or to Oyo State to upgrade the Ibadan Airport,” Makinde said.

The governor flagged off the airport upgrade in September 2024, with the project initially valued at N41 billion. The domestic terminal upgrade was completed in October 2025, while work on the international terminal and facilities for customs and immigration is ongoing.

The dispute comes amid political differences between Makinde and Wike ahead of the 2027 general election. Makinde is seeking the presidency on the APM platform, while Wike, a member of the PDP, has publicly supported Tinubu’s bid for a second term.

Makinde and Wike were previously part of the PDP’s G5 governors, alongside former governors Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu. The group opposed Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid in 2023 amid disagreements within the PDP.

Makinde has since moved away from the G5 alignment, particularly following political differences with Wike over the FCT minister’s support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. The latest disagreement over the Ibadan Airport funding has added another point of contention between the two politicians.