My Thief Is Not As Corrupt As Your Thief | Olumide Olusanya

In Nigerian politics, moral outrage rarely comes from genuine principle; more often, it depends on party loyalty and geography. This selective memory is on full display in the escalating war of words between Governor Seyi Makinde’s political camp—campaigning under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) ahead of the 2027 elections—and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Federal Government.

At the heart of this dispute is a familiar political habit: defending secrecy at home while demanding transparency elsewhere. While Governor Makinde and his APM allies have positioned themselves as anti-corruption crusaders challenging Abuja, a closer look at Oyo State’s finances, public assets, and essential services shows many of the same failures they criticize.

The ₦30 Billion Bodija Relief Question

Consider the ongoing controversy over the federal relief funds meant for victims of the January 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan. After former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose alleged that the Federal Government released ₦50 billion to Oyo State—and questioned why survivors received only a small portion—Governor Makinde’s administration pushed back. State officials stated that Abuja actually disbursed ₦30 billion, not ₦50 billion, claiming the remaining ₦20 billion was withheld after the governor refused alleged demands for kickbacks.

Even using the state’s figure of ₦30 billion, the numbers raise difficult questions. By the state government’s own admission, only about ₦4.085 billion to ₦4.5 billion—roughly 15 percent of the ₦30 billion—went directly to the victims and landlords whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed. Meanwhile, state officials maintained in early 2026 that the ₦30 billion federal grant remained untouched in state accounts, arguing that the ₦24.6 billion spent on Bodija infrastructure and victim support came from Oyo State’s own funds. For survivors still waiting for full compensation, that distinction offers little relief. Holding onto tens of billions of naira in emergency federal funds without publishing an itemized public record—while victims complain of inadequate support—falls short of the open governance the governor promotes.

A Fresh ₦100 Billion Loan Near the End of a Term

These transparency concerns deepened when the Oyo State House of Assembly approved a new ₦100 billion loan, alongside a ₦300 billion debt refinancing plan, less than a year before the end of Makinde’s second and final term.

While the state government maintains that the ₦100 billion loan will fund ongoing infrastructure and development projects, critics—including opposition leaders and former allies such as ex-Deputy Governor Hazeem Gbolarumi—have questioned both the timing and the lack of clear details. Taking on ₦100 billion in new debt shortly before leaving office, without a transparent, project-by-project breakdown of costs, timelines, and repayment terms, leaves residents uncertain about the financial burden the next administration will inherit.

The Mystery of Local Government Allocations

Another major point of contention involves grassroots funding. Under the 1999 Constitution and Supreme Court rulings on local government autonomy, Nigeria’s 774 local government areas receive statutory allocations to fund primary healthcare, basic education, and local infrastructure. In 2026 alone, local councils in Oyo State received substantial inflows; for example, Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) records show that Oyo West Local Government Area received over ₦4.54 billion between January and July 2026.

Despite these large monthly allocations across Oyo State’s 33 local government areas, many rural communities still struggle with deteriorating classrooms, poor feeder roads, and under-equipped clinics. Community leaders and stakeholders, including elder statesman Elder Wole Oyelese, have publicly urged Governor Makinde to apply the same standard of financial transparency to Oyo’s local councils that he demands from the