Makinde stands by claim FG spent NLNG dividends owed to states
- Oyo governor Seyi Makinde says he will not drop his claim that NLNG dividends were spent by the Federal Government alone.
- He challenged the Federal Government to publish records of what each state and local government was owed.
- Makinde spoke in Uyo at a South-South town hall for his APM presidential campaign ahead of 2027.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde says he is not backing down from his claim that the Federal Government has, over the years, spent Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) dividends that should have been shared with states and local governments.
He put the figure at about ₦250 billion owed to each of the 36 states and the local governments, and challenged the Federal Government to release the records to prove him wrong.
Makinde, who is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), spoke on Tuesday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, at the South-South leg of his zonal town hall meetings ahead of the 2027 general elections.
"I stand by what I have said. The records are there. The papers are there," he said, according to Tribune.
He explained that he was not saying the money was a one-off debt owed to the states. His claim, he said, is that NLNG dividends paid into the Federation Account were used by the central government alone instead of being shared.
Under the Constitution, he argued, anything paid into the Federation Account is meant to be divided among the Federal Government, states and local governments. He asked the Federal Government to publish the amounts due to each state and council.
The Federal Government has already dismissed the allegation, according to Leadership. Makinde's response was to ask Nigerians to hold the government to account on the money.
What it means for states
The claim matters to ordinary Nigerians because money shared through the Federation Account is what many states use for salaries, roads, schools and health centres. If the dividends were not shared as required, states and councils would have received less than they should.
Makinde also criticised the tax laws recently passed by the National Assembly, saying they burden the middle class and amount to taxing poverty. He said he would rather support entrepreneurs and grow internally generated revenue without raising taxes, citing his record in Oyo State.
He questioned whether the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and the naira-for-crude arrangement have actually brought down transport costs, and asked the Federal Government to publish its petroleum products pricing template.
On the campaign, Makinde accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of working to stop opposition parties from coming together before 2027. He said voters in the South-South would back the APM.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, the APM national leader, told the gathering that the 2027 choice should rest on a candidate's record and ability to deliver, not money or age. "It is about pedigree," he said.
The party's vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, said Nigerians deserve a dignified life, while APM national chairman Yusuf Dantalle said the country's systems are not working and need a reset.
Makinde thanked Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno for allowing the meeting to hold at Ibom Hall.
What happens next
The Federal Government has not published the NLNG dividend records Makinde is asking for. With campaigns building towards 2027, the dispute over the money is likely to stay in the public debate.
