Amosun Fires Back At Abiodun Over Buhari Estate Claim: ‘Who Took The Government To Court

Former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has rejected claims by his successor, Governor Dapo Abiodun, that his administration prevented the forfeiture of the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate in Abeokuta.

Abiodun had alleged that the estate was embroiled in a legal dispute over unpaid fees owed to the project’s contractor, with the property allegedly facing forfeiture.

However, Amosun, through a statement titled “The Rescue of PMB Estate by Gov Dapo Abiodun: The Limit of Falsehood,” issued by his media office on Monday, described the governor’s account as a distortion of the project’s history.

According to the former governor, the estate was already close to completion when he left office in 2019.

Amosun said the infrastructure contract, valued at about ₦3.5 billion, had been fully mobilised, with the project reaching approximately 95 per cent completion before the end of his administration.

The statement said the estate was developed on about 500 hectares of land acquired along the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway.

It added that the contractor, ZCC, had received full mobilisation and that sufficient funds were available to complete the remaining works.

“More importantly, sufficient funding was available against the outstanding works to enable the contractor to complete the project.”

The former governor’s media office maintained that the project had attained about 95 per cent completion by May 2019, insisting that the claim was supported by official records.

“This is not conjecture. It is verifiable and documented in the formal handover notes of the supervising ministry.”

Amosun Accuses Abiodun of Distorting Project History

Amosun’s media office said it had initially chosen not to respond to the allegations but decided to speak out after the latest claims, which it described as an attack on the former governor’s personal integrity.

It accused the current administration of repeatedly referring to its predecessor rather than focusing on its own record.

“Governance cannot remain a perpetual press conference about one’s predecessor.”

The statement added that every administration would eventually be judged by its achievements and performance.

“At some point, excuses expire, propaganda becomes threadbare, and every administration must stand before the people on the strength, or weakness, of its own record.”

According to Amosun, many of the infrastructure projects now being associated with the Abiodun administration had already been completed under his government.

The statement said the estate was inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari during Ogun State’s 40th anniversary celebrations on February 3, 2016.

Among the facilities it listed were 43 roads, street lighting, electricity infrastructure, water distribution networks, drainage systems, a central sewage system, gas supply lines and fibre-optic cable ducts.

It also said a comprehensive master plan had been developed for the estate, with designated areas for commercial activities, multi-residential developments, schools and other facilities.

‘Who Took the Government to Court?’

Amosun challenged the claim that the estate had almost collapsed and faced forfeiture because of a legal dispute involving the contractor.

He questioned how such a situation could have arisen if the contractor had already been fully mobilised, the project was about 95 per cent complete and funding was available for the outstanding works.

“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/forfeiture, and for what reason?”

He demanded clarification on when the alleged dispute emerged, the amount supposedly owed to the contractor and how the contractor came to pose a threat to the estate.

Amosun also pointed to the estate’s 2016 commissioning as evidence that substantial infrastructure had already been provided before he left office.

He recalled that Buhari toured the estate in a vehicle along its paved roads, with streetlights functioning, and was hosted to a state banquet at the location.

According to him, such activities would not have been possible if the estate lacked basic infrastructure.

Questions Over Estate Allottees, 500-Hectare Property

The former governor’s media office also raised concerns about people who had acquired plots within the estate, particularly Nigerians living abroad.

It said some allottees reportedly possessed certificates of occupancy, development approvals and other relevant documents but were now experiencing difficulties accessing or developing their properties.

“A significant proportion of these purchasers were reportedly Nigerians in the diaspora. What has happened to them?”

The statement challenged the government to explain what new infrastructure it had added to the estate and whether the claimed rescue involved improvements to roads, electricity, drainage, sewage or other facilities.

Amosun also called for a comprehensive account of the entire 500-hectare estate, including the portion that remains intact, land already allocated or developed, and any areas that may have been redesignated or become subject to disputes.

“If the estate has genuinely been ‘rescued,’ the public deserves a comprehensive account of the condition of the entire 500 hectares.”

The former governor maintained that a genuine rescue of the estate should involve protecting and accounting for the entire property, rather than developing only a portion of it and leaving questions surrounding the remaining land unanswered.