The ADC demands Governor Makinde account for the Bodija intervention funds, questioning transparency over N30bn received after the 2024 Ibadan explosion
The Oyo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress on Sunday called on Governor Seyi Makinde to give a public account of the Bodija intervention funds received from the Federal Government after the January 2024 Ibadan explosion.
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The party accused the state government of lacking transparency in its handling of the relief money and demanded a detailed breakdown of how the funds were spent.
The call followed claims by former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose that Oyo State had requested N50 billion from the Federal Government for reconstruction and victim support after the blast.
While the Oyo State Government has said it received only N30 billion, the ADC said the public became aware of the request and disbursement only after the former governor spoke out.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Bimpe Adelowo, the ADC described the state government as “unaccountable, deceptive, divisive and misleading” in its handling of public resources.
The party said Governor Makinde had claimed to have disbursed about N4.5 billion directly to victims but had not explained how the remaining funds were used.
“Oyo State Governor claimed he had disbursed about N4.5 billion directly to the victims of the Bodija explosion but failed to account for the balance of N25.5 billion,” Adelowo said.
The party questioned whether the Oyo State House of Assembly had approved any alternative use of the money or whether it had been diverted to unrelated projects.
“It is safe to say that the entire disbursed N30 billion was misappropriated and unlawfully diverted to projects which were not the purpose the money was disbursed for in the first place,” the statement said.
The ADC acknowledged that the document circulated by Fayose showed only a request for funds, not a confirmed disbursement, but argued that the government’s failure to disclose the request earlier showed a troubling lack of openness.
The party urged Governor Makinde to release a full financial breakdown for public scrutiny and to apologise to residents of the state.
“He should own up and apologise to the people of Oyo for taking them for a ride. He should release the details of the disbursed N30 billion intervention funds for public scrutiny,” Adelowo said.
The Bodija explosion on January 16, 2024 killed several people and destroyed dozens of homes and businesses, prompting a federal intervention for relief and reconstruction.
In response, the Oyo State Government denied any wrongdoing and said claims of a N50 billion disbursement were false.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said the Federal Government did not release N50 billion to the state.
“The Federal Government did not give Governor Makinde N50 billion. This is why Fayose was unable to provide evidence. The memo he shared shows what was not disbursed,” Olanrewaju said.
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The disagreement has added fresh political tension around the handling of the disaster relief funds as public pressure for accountability continues to grow.
