Dear Punch Journalist, Let's start with the outright lies. 1. Ladoja/Akala did not move us to where we have today's airport. The old Ibadan Airport was built in Bodija by the Royal Air Force in 1940. It was later taken over by the Civil Aviation Department in 1953. The development of the present airport at Alakia was part of the Federal Government's airport development programme of the 1970s. The new airport opened on 24 June 1982, during the Shagari administration. So, how exactly did Ladoja or Akala, who became governors decades later, move the airport? 2. Makinde did not sell Agbowo Shopping Complex. The complex was concessioned for redevelopment, not sold. And you will have to show us where he said it was his "biggest mistake in his first term". Which "real estate development" did you see at Agbowo? What he said in his media chat on 11 October 2026 was that completing Agbowo could require another ₦21 billion and might not happen before he leaves office. 3. Makinde did not sell Trans Amusement Park. The site was earmarked for residential redevelopment through a public-private partnership arrangement. As a journalist, you should know the difference between an outright sale and a PPP arrangement. The state explained the rationale for the redevelopment in the Governor's newsletter of 21 September 2023: a. Since 2019, the government had sought private-sector investment to rehabilitate the park. However, interested investors withdrew after due diligence because the ageing equipment was obsolete and could not be repaired. b. Scrapping the old equipment and constructing a modern amusement park on the same site was considered too expensive. c. Establishing a modern, more heavily patronised amusement park at that Bodija location would create serious traffic bottlenecks. The government therefore decided to repurpose the land for housing and pursue the development of a modern amusement park at the proposed Ilutuntun Business District through a PPP collaboration. You can disagree with the state's decision without resorting to lies and half-truths. 4. Then you lumped together Alalubosa, Agodi Gardens, marketplaces and even Shasha Market. Shasha Market was rebuilt after the devastating 2021 riots. Traders relocated to Akinyele while the market was being rebuilt, and some declined to return. Governor Makinde explicitly assured original traders that they would be given priority in the allocation of shops in the reconstructed market. But here you are, a journalist, not a "politician", playing politics with the consequences of a crisis and the government's reconstruction efforts. And when you allege that government properties were sold to cronies, where is your evidence? Finally, there is something fundamentally contradictory about your position. You acknowledge that urban development followed the airport, yet you present real estate development in other parts of Ibadan as though it is inherently a bad thing. Real estate development is an important driver of economic growth. It attracts investment, creates jobs, stimulates construction and related industries, and supports urban expansion and modernisation. There is nothing inherently wrong with government working with private investors to develop public assets, provided the arrangements are transparent and beneficial to the public. The fact remains that you can fault, disagree with and even argue over government decisions, and that is fine. But please, stop misrepresenting the facts. Do a bit of research sometimes so that you don't expose your ignorance. You may not be a politician, but you are certainly playing politics.

H.E. Seyi Makinde arrives at the Ibom Hall, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, for the MakindeDaura Presidential Campaign Organisation South-South Town Hall Meeting. #ResetNigeria #NigeriaFirst #MakindeDaura2027