Former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has rejected claims by his successor, Governor Dapo Abiodun, that his administration prevented the forfeiture of the Muhammadu Buhari Estate in Abeokuta.
Abiodun had alleged that the estate became involved in a legal dispute over unpaid fees owed to the contractor handling the project, with the property allegedly facing the risk of forfeiture.
However, Amosun, through a statement issued on Monday by his media office and titled “The Rescue of PMB Estate by Gov Dapo Abiodun: The Limit of Falsehood,” described the governor’s account as inaccurate and misleading.
According to Amosun, the estate was already about 95 per cent completed when he left office in May 2019.
His media office said the infrastructure contract, valued at approximately ₦3.5 billion, had been fully mobilised, with sufficient funds available to complete the remaining works.
The estate, developed on about 500 hectares of acquired land along the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway, was reportedly being handled by a contractor identified as ZCC.
The statement maintained that the level of completion was documented in the formal handover notes of the supervising ministry.
Amosun’s media office said it initially chose not to respond to Abiodun’s allegations, explaining that it considered the peace and stability of Ogun State more important than engaging in political exchanges.
However, it said the latest claims compelled a response because they allegedly questioned Amosun’s personal integrity and record in office.
The former governor’s camp also argued that successive administrations should be judged by their own achievements rather than continually blaming their predecessors.
It pointed out that several major infrastructure components at the estate had already been completed and inaugurated during Amosun’s tenure.
These, according to the statement, included 43 roads with street lighting, electricity infrastructure, water distribution, drainage systems, a central sewage network, gas supply lines and fibre-optic cable ducts.
It added that a master plan covering commercial areas, multi-residential districts, schools and other facilities had also been developed within the 170-hectare layout.
Amosun also questioned the claim that the project had nearly collapsed and was threatened with forfeiture through litigation.
“If the contractor had been fully mobilised, the infrastructure was already approximately 95 per cent complete, and sufficient funds remained available for the outstanding work, who then took the government to court and threatened seizure or forfeiture, and for what reason?” he asked.
He challenged the Abiodun administration to explain when the alleged dispute began, the amount allegedly owed to the contractor and how the contractor came to pose a threat to the estate.
Amosun further cited the estate’s commissioning in 2016 as evidence that significant infrastructure had already been completed before his administration left office.
According to him, former President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the estate during Ogun State’s 40th anniversary celebrations and drove through its tarred roads, which were illuminated by streetlights.
He added that Buhari also attended a state banquet at the estate, arguing that such an event would not have been possible if the area lacked roads, electricity, drainage, water, sewage and other essential infrastructure.
The former governor’s media office also raised concerns over people who had purchased plots within the estate, particularly Nigerians living abroad.
It said some buyers reportedly possessed certificates of occupancy, development approvals and other relevant documents but were now facing difficulties accessing or developing their properties.
Amosun’s camp therefore asked the Ogun State Government to explain what additional infrastructure it had provided and what had happened to the wider estate.
It also demanded a comprehensive account of the status of the entire 500-hectare property, including the amount of land that remained available, allocated, developed or redesignated.
The statement further asked the government to clarify whether any part of the estate had been encroached upon or become subject to disputes.
Amosun maintained that any genuine effort to “rescue” the estate should involve securing and protecting the entire property rather than developing only a portion and declaring victory.
The former governor’s response has therefore placed the focus on the circumstances surrounding the alleged litigation and forfeiture threat, with Amosun demanding that the Abiodun administration provide details of how the dispute arose and what happened to the project after he left office.
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