Former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has challenged Governor Dapo Abiodun’s claim that his administration “rescued” the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate in Abeokuta from possible forfeiture.
Amosun, in a statement issued on Monday by his media office, described the claim as a misrepresentation of the estate’s history, insisting that the project was already substantially completed before the Abiodun administration took office in 2019.
The statement, titled “The Rescue of PMB Estate by Gov Dapo Abiodun: The Limit of Falsehood,” said the estate’s infrastructure contract, valued at about N3.5bn, had been fully mobilised and was approximately 95 per cent complete before Amosun left office.
According to the former governor’s media office, the estate was developed on about 500 hectares of acquired land along the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway, with 170 hectares forming the master-planned first phase and approximately 50 hectares designated for the pilot scheme.
The estate was conceived as a Three Arms residential zone for members of the executive, legislature and judiciary.
Amosun’s office said the Ogun State Judicial Complex, located opposite the estate, was designed to complement the judges’ quarters, while members of the executive and legislature were expected to occupy residences within the estate.
The former governor accused the Abiodun administration of repeatedly attempting to rewrite the history of projects executed under his government, saying the latest claim about the PMB Estate required a response because it allegedly questioned his personal integrity.
According to the statement, virtually all the major infrastructure listed by the current administration had already been completed under Amosun and inaugurated during Ogun State’s 40th anniversary celebrations by former President Muhammadu Buhari on February 3, 2016.
The infrastructure included 43 roads, street lighting, electricity networks, water distribution systems, drainage, a central sewage system, gas supply lines and fibre-optic cable ducts.
The estate also had a master plan covering commercial areas, multi-residential zones, schools and other designated sections within the 170-hectare layout.
Amosun’s media office said infrastructure in the pilot area had reached about 95 per cent completion by May 2019, adding that the status was documented in formal handover records from the supervising ministry.
It further stated that the contractor, ZCC, had been fully mobilised under the approximately N3.5bn infrastructure contract, with sufficient funds reportedly available for the outstanding works.
Amosun consequently questioned the circumstances surrounding the alleged legal dispute with the contractor and the threat of forfeiture.
He asked how a project that was about 95 per cent complete, with a fully mobilised contractor and funds available for outstanding works, could have reached a stage where the contractor took the government to court and threatened seizure or forfeiture.
The former governor also cited the estate’s commissioning in 2016 as evidence that significant infrastructure was already in place before his administration left office.
He recalled that Buhari commissioned the estate and drove through its tarred roads, which were illuminated by streetlights, before attending a state banquet held at the development.
Amosun’s office also raised concerns about subscribers to the estate, particularly Nigerians in the diaspora who it said had obtained certificates of occupancy, development approvals and other documents but were now facing difficulties accessing or developing their properties.
The statement called on the Ogun State Government to explain what additional infrastructure it had provided and to give a comprehensive account of the entire 500-hectare estate.
It asked the government to disclose how much of the land remained intact, allocated or developed, as well as whether any portion had been redesignated, encroached upon or become subject to disputes.
The former governor’s media office also questioned the 108-unit housing project being promoted by Abiodun, saying that while the project was commendable, it occupied less than one hectare of the 50-hectare pilot area for which infrastructure had already been provided under the previous administration.
It further alleged that the housing project was built on land originally designated for a primary school.
The statement also claimed that an Access Bank Training School, originally conceived under the Amosun administration, was being constructed in an area designated for the executive arm of government, including commissioners’ quarters.
According to the media office, the development had affected the original Three Arms Zone concept and the wider master plan.
Amosun’s office concluded that the PMB Estate had been conceived, acquired, master-planned, funded, substantially developed and inaugurated before the present administration assumed office.
It challenged the Abiodun administration to explain the status of existing allottees and the remaining hundreds of hectares of the estate, arguing that these issues should be addressed before describing the project as having been “rescued.”
Abiodun Administration’s Position
The dispute follows a statement by Governor Abiodun’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, claiming that the governor had rescued the PMB Estate from possible forfeiture and transformed the reportedly stalled development into a 108-unit modern residential community.
According to the statement, the estate is scheduled for inauguration today, Tuesday, August 18, by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
