Adeleke vs EFCC: Osun Takes Powerful Move Ahead of Poll
- Governor Ademola Adeleke held a press conference after receiving a bank letter forwarding an EFCC instruction to freeze the Osun State Government account
- Adeleke said the freeze was carried out without a court order and described the action as an attack on constitutional rights of subnational governments
- The governor said he has directed the Osun State Attorney General to challenge the freeze at the Federal High Court in Osogbo
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Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has publicly condemned the freezing of the Osun State Government's bank account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying the action was taken without a court order and violated constitutional principles.
Adeleke made the disclosure at a press conference on Wednesday, August 5, revealing that the state government received a letter from its bank, which had forwarded an EFCC directive instructing it to freeze the account.
Source: Twitter
Adeleke calls freeze an illegality
The governor described the move as an attack on democratic governance and demanded that the EFCC chairman publicly explain the grounds for the action and provide supporting evidence.
He 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 warned that allowing federal agencies to override the constitutional rights of state governments without judicial oversight would gradually erode whatever remained of Nigeria's democracy.
Arrests, violence, and legal challenge
Before addressing the account freeze, Adeleke listed a series of what he described as coordinated attacks against his administration and members of the Accord Party in recent months. He said 60 Accord members had been arrested and taken to Abuja, where they were being held without charges. He also alleged that several Accord members had been killed and that police raids on party leaders had been carried out without warrants.
Adeleke attributed these incidents to former Osun Governor Gboyega Oyetola, saying the actions were motivated by the outcome of an election Oyetola's candidate could not win.
In response to the account freeze, Adeleke said he had instructed the state Attorney General to file a legal challenge at the Federal High Court in Osogbo.
He closed the press conference by saying his governorship campaign would continue despite the pressures, adding: "As for me, we are pushing ahead with our campaign."
You can read the full statement of the governor on X here:
Source: Legit.ng
