Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has denied receiving ₦50 billion from President Bola Tinubu for the upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport in Ibadan.
Mr Makinde made the denial on Tuesday while addressing supporters at the Makinde/Daura 2027 Presidential Town Hall meeting in Katsina.
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His comments followed a claim by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who, during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme on Monday, said the Tinubu administration had supported the Oyo State Government with N50 billion for the airport project.
However, Mr Makinde said the claim was false, insisting that the airport expansion was being funded entirely by the Oyo State Government.
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“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,” Mr Makinde said.
“I want to say that the claim is false. The President did not give Oyo State or me N50 billion to upgrade the Ibadan Airport. The Ibadan Airport upgrade project is undertaken 100 per cent with the funds of Oyo State.”
Makinde promises to transmit power to the VP
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The governor also used the occasion to address the controversy surrounding the transmission of presidential powers when the President is away from the country or unable to perform his duties.
Mr Makinde said Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, requires the President to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives when proceeding on vacation or otherwise unable to discharge the functions of office.
He said he had complied with a similar constitutional requirement at the state level whenever he travelled on vacation for more than 21 days.
“I have looked at the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, of course, as a state governor, I also operate under that Constitution. Anytime I have to travel out, not for work but on vacation, for more than 21 days, I transmit power to the Deputy Governor. Why is this not happening at the national level?” he asked.
Mr Makinde’s comments on the transmission of presidential powers came against the backdrop of the controversy over Mr Tinubu’s current vacation, which was recently extended without a public declaration transferring presidential powers to Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
The APM candidate said he would transfer power to the vice president if the vice president were unavailable, should he be elected president in 2027.
“If the President is unable, whether through sickness, a medical trip or incapacitation, to function, we are all human. Anything can happen to anybody at any time. If that happens, the president should also transmit power to the vice president,” he said.
“I promise you that, as your president, I will follow the Constitution to the letter. If I am not available, such as when I am on vacation, I will delegate authority to the vice president. Record this and hold me accountable.”
Makinde targets economy, education, security
Speaking on his presidential campaign, Mr Makinde said the 2027 election should not be viewed solely as a contest between political parties, but as a choice between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Nigerians.
He urged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate in the election, saying this would enable them to determine the country’s direction.
READ ALSO: Makinde challenges Tinubu to account for election promise to fix Nigeria’s electricity
“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.
“Please get your PVC and show the APC that Nigeria is bigger than individuals. It is bigger than even the systems that have held us down.”
Mr Makinde said his proposed administration would seek to reset the economy, education and security architecture.
He said Nigeria needed an economy that operated around the clock to compete with countries whose economies remained active 24 hours a day.
“We are determined to reset our economy. Yes, people will argue that Nigeria is rich in natural resources. But natural resources are not enough. You must have skills and knowledge, and you must also have intensive production,” he said.
“Our economy must work 24/7. Otherwise, if our economy shuts down at 7 or 8 p.m., we cannot compete with economies that are running 24/7.”
On education, he said his administration would focus on obtaining reliable data on out-of-school children and developing measures to return them to school.
“We want to reset our education. We want to measure the data that we are being given. We want to know how many out-of-school children we have and how we get them back into school,” he said.
He also pledged to review Nigeria’s security architecture.
“So, together, let us embark on the Reset Agenda so that we have a Nigeria that will work for everybody, irrespective of tribe, religion or which corner of Nigeria you decide to stay in,” Mr Makind
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