EFCC logo and Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of unlawfully freezing the state government’s bank account just 10 days before the August 15 governorship election.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Adeleke described the action as a serious threat to democracy and the rule of law, alleging that it formed part of a broader campaign of intimidation against his administration and members of the Accord political movement.
The governor claimed that Osun State had experienced sustained political pressure in recent months, including what he described as the paralysis of the local government system, repeated police raids and the arrest of party members.
According to him, “You are all aware of the many challenges Osun people and her government have been facing in the last few months. You know of the deliberate paralysis of the local government system, the open gun attacks on Osun people and the daily harassment and arrests of Accord members.”
He further alleged that dozens of supporters had been detained without due process.
“You are aware of constant police raids and arrest of Accord leaders for no reason and without any warrant of arrest. Several Accord members have been killed and 60 Accord members have been arrested and taken to Abuja and detained without any charges,” he said.
Adeleke alleged that the actions were politically motivated.
“All these intimidation and attacks were carried out on the order of Gboyega Oyetola over an election his candidate cannot win,” the governor claimed.
He said the latest development was the receipt of a letter from the state’s banker notifying the government of an EFCC directive to freeze its accounts.
“As if all these were not enough, this morning, we received a letter from our banker, forwarding a letter from the EFCC, instructing the bank to freeze Osun State Government Account. This action was taken without any court order,” Adeleke stated.
The governor argued that the decision violated constitutional principles and warned against what he described as federal interference in the affairs of a state government.
“We are supposed to be in a democracy, where the Rule of Law must always prevail. We will therefore, not accept a situation where federal agencies trample on the constitutional rights of subnational governments. This is a threat to our democracy. If we all keep quiet and allow this illegality, very soon, whatever is left of our democracy will be fully eroded,” he said.
Calling on the antigraft agency to justify its action, Adeleke said, “All I ask is for the EFCC Chairman to explain to the good people of Osun State and to Nigerians in general, why he froze Osun State Government Account, and show proof to support whatever reason he presents.”
He added that the state government would challenge the action in court.
“I have instructed my Attorney General to challenge this illegality at the Federal High Court, Osogbo.”
Despite the development, the governor maintained that his administration and campaign would not be distracted.
“As for me, we are pushing ahead with our campaign,” he said.
The EFCC had not issued an official response to Adeleke’s allegations as of the time this report was filed.
