Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has allegedly accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of political intimidation, 10 days to the August 15 governorship election.
In a statement issued on Wednesday through the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, Adeleke said the EFCC’s action was aimed at disrupting government operations and creating tension ahead of the poll.
According to documents obtained by Vanguard, the EFCC placed an Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank on “Post No Debit” status. The account is reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries and other running costs.
The restriction came shortly after Adeleke publicly alleged that the EFCC was planning to freeze state accounts and those of senior government officials.
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The governor faulted the move, arguing that the EFCC has no legal authority to freeze the accounts of a state government. He insisted there was no lawful basis for the action and described it as interference rather than an anti-graft measure.
A source close to the governor confirmed that the account had indeed been frozen, saying it was no longer an allegation. The source added that Adeleke would soon address the public directly on the matter.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not released an official statement explaining the restriction or the reasons behind it.
The development has heightened political tension in Osun.
With salary payments at stake, Adeleke’s camp says the timing suggests an attempt to cripple governance at a critical moment. Analysts note the clash could influence voter perception as the state prepares to go to the polls on August 15.
