The campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Sharafadeen Alli, has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over his claim that increased allocations to state governments have not translated into reduced hunger among Nigerians.
Mr Makinde, who is also the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), made the comment on Monday at his party’s North-central zonal town hall meeting in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
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He said state governments were receiving more money from the Federation Account but questioned whether the increase had translated into improved living conditions for Nigerians.
“Yes, the quantum of the money, yes, we have more money, but has it translated to fighting hunger in our society? The answer is no,” Mr Makinde said.
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He also said Oyo State’s dependence on federal allocation had fallen from more than 80 per cent when he assumed office in 2019 to abo0ut 65 per cent in 2022, but had since risen to almost 80 per cent.
The governor attributed the reversal to the economic policies of the federal government, which he described as “voodoo economics.”
Makinde is crueless – Alli’s campaign team
Mr Makinde’s comment has generated more controversies, however, in a recent, the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, in a statement on Tuesday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, accused Mr Makinde of failing to address the economic hardship in Oyo State despite the increase in funds accruing to the state from the Federation Account.
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Reacting to the remarks, Mr Oladele said Mr Makinde’s admission that Oyo had been receiving more money from the Federation Account should prompt questions about how the funds had been used by the state government.
The campaign organisation said the increased allocations were a consequence of the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and argued that the responsibility for judiciously deploying the funds rested with state governments.
“If you have acknowledged that monthly, you have been getting more money from the Federation Account, who are you expecting to come and help you to fight hunger in your state? Is it President Tinubu?” the organisation asked in the statement.
The campaign organisation, however, described Mr Makinde as “clueless” and “an embarrassment” to Oyo State, arguing that the governor’s comment reflected what it called poor governance in the state.
It also accused Mr Makinde of opposing local government autonomy in Oyo State, alleging that his administration had prevented the 33 local government councils from functioning independently.
It argued that greater financial resources should translate into tangible improvements in the lives of residents and questioned why hunger remained a major concern despite increased allocations.
“It is an embarrassment for failing to address hunger in Oyo State despite increased funds from the federation account, Makinde has shown that he is more than clueless,” it said.
Oyo’s rising Federation Account receipts
Oyo State has recorded a substantial increase in revenue from the Federation Account in recent years. In its 2025 budget, the state government projected N293 billion in direct FAAC allocation for the year. Its budget also projected total recurrent revenue of N436 billion, showing the significance of Federation Account receipts to the state’s finances.
READ ALSO: Makinde challenges Tinubu to disclose 2026 budgetary provision for army expansion
By the end of the third quarter of 2025, however, Oyo had already recorded N265 billion in statutory and other FAAC-related revenue, representing 62.7 per cent of its revised annual projection of N423 billion. The figure comprised N71 billion in statutory allocation, N83.92 billion in other FAAC receipts and M110.20 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT).
The increase continued into 2026. In January, Oyo received N21.17 billion in net FAAC allocation, up from N13.68 billion in January 2025, representing a 55 per cent year-on-year increase. Its gross allocation for the month was N24.18 billion, including N15.80 billion in net VAT allocation, according to a report by Nairametrics.
PREMIUM TIMES recently reported that, at the national level, FAAC distributions have also risen sharply. The three tiers of government received N3.18 trillion in May and N3.40 trillion in June 2026, with states receiving N759.14 billion in June alone.
Between January and June, gross FAAC revenue stood at N18.72 trillion, while N12.59 trillion was distributed after deductions and other adjustments.
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