The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate and Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has insisted that the government of President Bola Tinubu is withholding ₦250 billion in Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) dividends for each state in the country.
The Governor made his stance known in a statement on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
He also challenged the federal government to address the substance of the allegation rather than resort to diversionary tactics and personal attacks.
Naija News recalls that Makinde had, on Friday, alleged that the administration of President Tinubu is holding on to the NLNG funds and would not release them until after the 2027 elections.
He made the allegation while speaking on Friday at the 2027 Budget Stakeholders’ Consultative Engagement held at the Olola Ogunlana Hall, International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.
However, on Sunday, the presidency, in a statement by Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said Makinde’s claim is false and should be disregarded.
The presidency also accused Makinde of making distorted claims on the matter for political reasons.
Reacting to Onanuga’s response, Makinde, in a statement signed by his media aide, pointed out that the Oyo State Governor is the incumbent Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and has evidence to back his claims.
The statement challenged the Tinubu government to tell Nigerians the truth about the funds in question.
“The response sidestepped the central issue: the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), with the Federal Government’s support, engaged a consultant to reconcile NLNG dividend payments.
“The exercise identified a shortfall of about ₦9 trillion due to states and local governments. The Federal Government accepted the findings.
“The report remains in the custody of both the Federal Government and the NGF. “We trust the Presidency will not deny its existence.
“Governor Makinde is the NGF’s incumbent Vice-Chairman.
“The Presidency stated that NLNG had paid $21.5 billion in dividends into the Federation Account since inception, including $3 billion received under the current administration. But it did not explain how these funds were disbursed”.
“Have states and local governments received their shares? How much did they receive, and how were those amounts calculated? What happened to the $3 billion received under this administration?
“Governor Makinde conducts public discourse with decorum and does not make unfounded claims or quote figures without a basis.
“We remain ready to provide further clarification while we urge the presidency to address the substance of the matter”, Makinde’s statement added.
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