By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
A group – the Sustainability of Governor Dapo Abiodun Legacy & Ogun State Beyond 2027 initiative – has rejected allegations by the Ogun Good Governance Forum (OGGF) concerning the Federal Government’s allocation of ₦783 billion for projects in Ogun State.
The OGGF recently challenged Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola to account for the ₦783 billion allegedly allocated to 1,377 federal projects in Ogun State between 2024 and 2026, demanding evidence of their execution and locations.
It stated that the huge allocation, contained in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Acts, raised serious questions about transparency and accountability, particularly as many of the projects could not readily be identified on the ground.
According to the OGGF, 287 projects valued at about ₦32.18 billion were captured for Ogun State in 2024. The figure rose sharply in 2025, when 458 projects worth approximately ₦379.05 billion were listed. In 2026, another 738 projects valued at about ₦371.74 billion were appropriated.
The organisation made the allegations through its Public Relations Officer, Oluwakemi Ogunbiyi, stating that the figures meant Ogun State received allocations for 1,377 projects with a combined value of ₦783 billion over the three-year period.
It questioned the disparity between the volume of projects contained in the budgets and what residents can physically verify across the state.
“Where are these projects, and can they be seen on the ground?” the group asked, describing accountability as a fundamental responsibility of public office holders.
However, dismissing the forum in a statement on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, the Sustainability of Governor Dapo Abiodun Legacy & Ogun State Beyond 2027 initiative through its Convener and well – known Public affairs analyst, Arabambi Abayomi, described OGGF as an “unknown forum with a known agenda” and accused the group of presenting unverified figures and political conclusions as facts.
Arabambi said the forum’s claim that ₦783 billion was appropriated between 2024 and 2026 for 1,377 projects across 48 federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), with fewer than 100 allegedly verifiable on the ground, required substantial evidence.
“Did OGGF visit any of these sites? Did they speak to community leaders in Ogun West, Ogun East, or Ogun Central? Did they request project documents from any of the 48 MDAs they mentioned?” he asked.
Arabambi argued that allegations concerning projects being implemented through agencies outside their traditional mandates should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of wrongdoing.
According to him, federal projects can involve multi-agency arrangements, while constituency projects and other budgetary provisions may designate an implementing agency based on its capacity, track record or ability to facilitate timely execution.
He therefore cautioned against drawing conclusions merely from the name of an agency appearing against a particular project in the federal budget.
The political activist also challenged OGGF’s interpretation of increased federal allocations to Ogun State as evidence that public resources were being deployed as an electoral strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
He described the conclusion as a political allegation rather than an evidence-based finding, arguing that claims of electoral manipulation or misuse of public funds require verifiable evidence.
He further questioned the credibility and transparency of OGGF, saying the group had not sufficiently established its membership, funding sources, track record or methodology.
He maintained that civil society organisations seeking to influence public policy should be transparent and demonstrate the evidence underlying their allegations.
On the issue of Nigeria’s rising debt burden, Abayomi agreed that public borrowing requires strict accountability. However, he said the inability of an advocacy group to independently locate a project does not, by itself, establish that the project is fictitious, abandoned or misappropriated.
He nevertheless welcomed one recommendation contained in the OGGF report: the proposal for a committee comprising traditional rulers, civil society organisations and technical experts to engage the relevant MDAs and obtain project locations, contractors and implementation timelines.
Abayomi said such a mechanism could strengthen transparency and public monitoring of federal projects in Ogun State, but argued that independent verification should have preceded the publication of sweeping allegations.
He urged Nigerians and the media to demand documentary evidence and field verification before accepting claims involving hundreds of billions of naira in public expenditure.
“ If you want to fight corruption, you must do the work. You must visit the sites. You must speak to the people. You must demand documents. You must be prepared to show your own work,” he said.
Arabambi also defended Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as YAYI, whom he described as providing an “unprecedented infrastructural revolution” in Ogun State, while praising Governor Dapo Abiodun for supporting YAYI as his preferred successor.
He said the proposed continuity agenda would focus on Infrastructure, Social Welfare, Education, Youth Empowerment and Agriculture, which he summarised under the acronym I.S.E.Y.A.
