EFCC Freezes Osun Government Account Days Before Governorship Election
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has been dealt a major setback after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reportedly froze one of the state government’s bank accounts just 10 days before the August 15 governorship election.
Details of the Account Freeze
According to documents seen by Vanguard, the affected account is domiciled with First Bank and was reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries. The anti-graft agency placed the account on “Post No Debit” status, effectively preventing any withdrawals or transactions.
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The development comes only hours after Governor Adeleke raised the alarm that the EFCC was planning to freeze the state’s bank accounts as well as those of some top government officials.
Governor’s Response
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the alleged move as a deliberate attempt to cripple the operations of the state government ahead of the governorship election scheduled for August 15. Adeleke insisted that there was no legal basis for the action, arguing that the EFCC does not have the statutory authority to freeze the accounts of a state government.
Anonymous Source Confirms Freeze
The governor’s concerns were later reinforced by a source close to the administration, who confirmed that the account had indeed been frozen. “I can confirm that the state government account has been frozen by the EFCC. It is no longer an allegation. The governor will address the press shortly to update the public on the situation,” the source told Vanguard, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly. The source did not provide further details on the circumstances surrounding the restriction.
EFCC Yet to Issue Official Statement
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not released an official statement explaining the action or the reasons behind the restriction on the account.
Political Tension Heightens
The development has heightened political tension in Osun State as preparations intensify for the governorship election, with observers closely monitoring the unfolding situation.