Presidency Speaks After Makinde Said Tinubu Is Withholding ₦250 Billion NLNG Dividend

The Presidency has urged Nigerians to disregard claims by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde that the Federal Government is withholding ₦250 billion in Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) dividends due to each state, describing the allegations as misleading and capable of creating unnecessary public disaffection against federal authorities.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, dismissed Governor Makinde’s claims as false, maintaining that the Federal Government is not withholding any such funds.

Each state was supposed to get ₦250 billion. We had already identified projects that would expand Oyo State’s economy. But they have now said the money will not be paid until after the election. Is the election more important than the people of Nigeria?

Onanuga argued that the arithmetic presented by the governor is unrealistic, noting that distributing ₦250 billion to each of the 36 states would amount to ₦9 trillion, a figure that exceeds the total dividends paid by NLNG to the Federation Account since its inception in 1989, which stands at approximately $21.5 billion. He further clarified that less than $3 billion in dividends has been realized since President Bola Tinubu assumed office.