By Egalitarian Voice Fact-Check Desk
October 10, 2026
A viral article titled “Ladoja’s 150 Meters, Makinde’s 1,000 Meters and The Tears of Ibadan Residents” is circulating on WhatsApp, alleging that Governor Seyi Makinde expanded the Ibadan Circular Road setback from 150 meters to 1,000 meters, causing mass demolitions.
Egalitarian Voice investigated the claim.
CLAIM: Governor Makinde expanded Circular Road corridor from 75m each side to 500m each side.
VERDICT: MISLEADING
THE FACTS:
Our findings show a 3-stage history of the 110km Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road:
1. Ladoja Administration (2006): Acquired 75 metres on each side of the road, making a 150-metre total corridor. This is TRUE. Documents from the Ministry of Lands confirm this was gazetted in August 2006.
2. Ajimobi Administration (2018): The corridor was expanded to 500 metres on each side (1,000m / 1km total). This was acquired and gazetted by the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi in 2018 as part of the Ibadan City Master Plan to create development zones and industrial hubs. It was NOT initiated by Governor Makinde.
3. Makinde Administration (2019-Date): According to the Commissioner for Lands, Mr Williams Akin-Funmilayo, the Makinde government “has not acquired any square meter of land within the corridor since 2019.” However, his government continued enforcement of the existing gazetted 500m corridor, which led to markings and protests.
Following pressure, in November 2025, Governor Makinde met with affected residents in Ologuneru and ordered a reduction to 150 metres in already developed areas, while maintaining 500 metres in undeveloped areas. He also stopped further demolitions beyond 150m pending enumeration for compensation.
Conclusion: While residents’ pain is real and documented, attributing the 1,000m expansion to Governor Makinde is factually incorrect. The expansion was done under Ajimobi. The APC promise by Senator Sharafadeen Alli (BSA) to return to 75m each side is a campaign pledge that would require a new executive order to de-gazette the 2018 acquisition.
Egalitarian Voice urges political actors to stick to verifiable facts and focus on solutions including fair compensation and humane resettlement for affected families.
