A combined photo of EFCC logo and Governor Ademola Adeleke
By Victory Oghene and Toyin Williams
Governor Ademola Adeleke, African Democratic Congress, (ADC) and the Accord Party have taken a swipe at the Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for freezing the First Bank account of the Osun State Government two weeks to the Osun State governorship election.
The EFCC had in a letter dated August 5, 2026, addressed to first bank, requested that the bank should place “post-no-debit” numbered, 2017170947.
The letter signed by EFCC’s Director of Investigation, Adenike Babalola, said the request was pursuant to section 38 (1) & (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004 and Section 24 of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act.
While addressing Journalists in Osogbo, Adeleke said he had instructed his Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice to challenge the action in court. He however demanded answers for the action of the EFCC without legal grounds, describing the action as an abuse of the rule of law.
He called out the EFCC Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, to justify the reason behind the commission’s action.
The governor said: “All I ask is for the EFCC chairman to explain to the good people of Osun State and to Nigerians why he froze Osun State Government account, and show proof to support whatever reason he presents.
“This and all other illegalities being visited on Osun State are turning our democracy into a huge joke.
“I have instructed my Attorney General to challenge this illegality at the Federal High Court in Osogbo.”
Also adding his voice to that of the Governor, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Osun State, Mr Oluwole Jimi-Bada, SAN, said the anti-graft agency lacked powers to freeze the statutory account of a state.
Jimi-Bada said: “Let me state respectfully that the government of Osun State recognizes and respects the statutory mandate of the EFCC and all lawful institutions of government.
‘’This statement is not intended as an attack on any person, government, agency or political party; it is purely a legal position taken in the interest of constitutional order and due process.
“Our considered view is that Section 24 of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act, and Section 38 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004 do not confer on the EFCC the rational power to freeze, restrict or interfere with the statutory account of the state government.
“The statutory account of Osun State contains public funds meant for governance, salaries, pension, health care, education, security and other essential obligations to the people.
“Any restriction on such funds raises serious constitutional questions, which in our respective view should be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction. For avoidance of doubt, Osun State is not opposed to any lawful investigation; we remain committed to transparency, accountability and cooperation with all lawful agencies; however, all investigative power will be exercised within the limits of the Constitution and applicable laws.”
In the same vein, the ADC also lampooned the Federal Government for using the EFCC to freeze statutory allocations to local governments in Osun State describing it as a political weapon.
The party said the political standoff is no longer just about politicians, arguing that ordinary residents are now bearing the consequences as funds meant for workers’ salaries, primary healthcare, schools and other essential grassroots services remained tied up in the dispute. The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, alleged that withholding of local government funds was part of a wider campaign to weaken Osun State Government before the election.
Abdullahi said: “Political opponents are not enemy combatants. Opposition-controlled states are not occupied territories. Public institutions do not belong to whichever party temporarily controls the Federal Government
“This sinister move confirms that the Tinubu-led Federal Government will do anything, including starving the people of Osun State, to achieve its political objectives. Yet no democracy worthy of the name deliberately sacrifices the welfare of innocent citizens in pursuit of partisan political ends.
“We have noted earlier that President Tinubu’s mentality, which regards political contests as warfare, constitutes a serious threat to democratic engagement. But even in war, there are rules of engagement that recognise human dignity and place limits on the conduct of adversaries.’’
The statement also alleged that some elements within the Nigeria Police had protected armed groups involved in acts of political intimidation, saying such actions, if established, would blur the line between the impartial authority of the state and partisan political interests.
“Taken together, these actions reveal something more dangerous than ordinary political competition. They point to the deliberate promotion of a state of anarchy by federal authorities and agencies whose constitutional duty is to preserve law, order, and democratic stability,’’ Abdullahi said.
The Accord Party also slammed the Federal government for using the EFCC to freeze the Osun State Government account and described it as an attempt to assist the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the August 15 governorship election in the state. The party vowed to challenge the action in court.
The National Chairman of the party, Chief Maxwell Mgbudem, who described the alleged action as unconstitutional, claimed the anti-graft agency acted without first obtaining a court order.
Mgbudem warned against any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the governorship poll.
He said: “This injustice, illegality, impunity and recklessness shall not stand. It’s part of the wider plot to use the police and federal agencies to capture Osun State for the opposition All Progressives Congress, which the people have since rejected, having brought untold hardship and misery to them.
“This unconstitutional action of the EFCC shall be challenged in court as the temple of justice and last hope of all aggrieved citizens. In a haste to cripple the state, the anti-graft agency could not obtain a court order to freeze the government accounts, conscious of the fact that the court would not grant it.”
While defending its action, the EFCC stated why it froze the state’s account yesterday, EFCC said it was compelled to freeze the account after it noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities, while its investigations were on-going.
EFCC’s Head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale in a statement justifying the action last night, said: “The commission is compelled to publicly address issues pertaining to its preventive moves in freezing the bank account of the Osun State government, without prejudice to the imminent governorship election in the state.
“The commission has been busy investigating the Osun State Government since March, 2026, regarding alleged fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, account to the tune of N11 billion.
“To this end, some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant-General of the state, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC. ““These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved. ““The EFCC’s preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources. The commission cannot watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions. ““It is equally needful to state that the commission is keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity.
“The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians.
The Osun State Government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.““The public is enjoined to August 15 ignore false narratives and deliberate demonization of the works of the EFCC.
The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission,” the statement added.“
