The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly frozen a bank account belonging to the Osun State Government, just 10 days before the state’s governorship election, escalating political tension ahead of the August 15 poll.
Documents obtained by Vanguard indicate that the account, domiciled with First Bank and reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, has been placed on “Post No Debit” status by the anti-graft agency.
The development came barely hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the EFCC to freeze the state’s accounts and those of key government officials.
In a statement issued on Wednesday through the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the reported move as a deliberate attempt to cripple the operations of his administration in the build-up to the governorship election.
Adeleke argued that there was no legal basis for the action, insisting that the EFCC lacked the statutory powers to freeze the accounts of a state government.
A source close to the governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, confirmed that the restriction had already taken effect.
“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 said.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had yet to issue an official statement confirming or explaining the action, while the reason for the account restriction remained unclear.
The reported account freeze is expected to heighten political tensions in Osun as parties intensify campaigns ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
