The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has strongly criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over the recent approval of N63.5 billion for the renovation of the Government House in Ibadan, calling it wasteful and poorly timed.
In a statement released on Sunday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the party urged the governor to cancel the project and focus instead on pressing needs affecting ordinary citizens in the state.
The APC described the renovation, along with other newly approved spending—including N132 million for gardening at the governor’s residence and N14.3 billion for airport equipment—as a “gross misplacement of priorities.”
“The last renovation of the Government House was done in 2017 by the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi. The facility remains in good condition and does not require this level of spending,” the statement read.
The party also raised alarm over reports that the state may be planning to purchase two aircraft for aerial security monitoring, warning that such a move could open the door for financial abuse and would not necessarily improve security in the state.
The APC accused the Makinde-led administration of repeating past patterns of spending public funds on what it called “white elephant projects,” citing the 2019 controversy around overpriced exercise books as another example of financial recklessness.
The party further alleged a lack of transparency in the ongoing airport upgrade, pointing to the state’s earlier commitment of N10 billion before the new N14.3 billion was announced—bringing the total to over N24 billion without a clear explanation.
According to the APC, the people of Oyo deserve better governance and wiser use of public funds, especially given the current economic challenges facing the state and country.
As the criticisms mount, the state government is yet to publicly respond to the concerns raised by the opposition.