The Oyo State Government has rejected a report alleging that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde spent N683.7 million to procure two vehicles, describing the claim as a misrepresentation of official financial records.
The government said the N683.7 million figure cited in the report was not the purchase price of the vehicles but an amount contained under a broader budget line for “Advertisement and Publicity Awareness for the Public.”
The clarification was issued by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, in a statement dated September 16, 2026.
According to the government, the programme covered several activities and components, with the vehicles referenced in the report forming only part of its logistics.
“The N683.7m figure is not a vehicle procurement cost,” the statement said, arguing that the amount should not be interpreted as the cost of purchasing the two vehicles.
Government challenges interpretation of financial records
The dispute followed a publication alleging that N683.7 million had been spent on a 2004 Toyota Camry and a 10-seater Toyota Hiace bus.
The Oyo Government said the audited financial statement cited by the publication did not provide a breakdown showing that the two vehicles individually cost N683.7 million.
It further cited other vehicle-related entries in the same financial statement, including a 2015 Toyota Coaster listed at N140 million, a 2021 Toyota Hiace Hummer bus at N156.95 million and Toyota Corolla entries of N28.98 million and N50.71 million.
The government argued that these figures were inconsistent with the interpretation that N683.7 million had been spent solely on the two vehicles.
Call for caution in reporting public expenditure
Olanrewaju accused the publication of drawing an incorrect conclusion from the financial records and urged media organisations to exercise caution when interpreting government expenditure documents.
He said the Makinde administration remained committed to transparency and accountability, adding that the state’s audited financial statements were publicly available.
The controversy highlights the importance of examining individual budget lines and the scope of programme-level expenditure before attributing an entire appropriation to a particular item.
The government maintains that the N683.7 million figure was for a wider publicity programme, not a standalone vehicle purchase.