By David Lawani, Abuja
Political tension intensified in Osun State on Wednesday, barely 10 days before the August 15 governorship election, after Governor Ademola Adeleke accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of unlawfully freezing the state’s statutory allocation account.
The latest controversy followed an alleged letter dated August 5, 2026, in which the EFCC directed First Bank of Nigeria to place a post-no-debit restriction on the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account pending the conclusion of an ongoing investigation.
The directive, signed by Adenike Babalola, an Assistant Commander of the EFCC, on behalf of the agency’s Director of Investigation, instructed the bank not to honour withdrawals from the account until further notice.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo, Adeleke challenged EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, to publicly explain the legal basis for the action and provide evidence supporting the decision to freeze the account without obtaining a court order.
The governor described the development as the latest in what he called a coordinated campaign to frustrate his administration ahead of the governorship election.
According to him, the state had in recent months witnessed several politically motivated actions, including attempts to cripple local government administration and the alleged harassment of opposition politicians.
Adeleke also accused former Governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of allegedly sponsoring the attacks because, according to him, the APC could not win the forthcoming election on merit.
“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 the Osun State Government account. This action was taken without any court order,” the governor said.
He warned that allowing federal institutions to exercise such powers unchecked would undermine Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
“We are supposed to be in a democracy where the rule of law must always prevail. We will not accept a situation where federal agencies trample on the constitutional rights of sub-national governments.”
The governor described the account restriction as a dangerous precedent capable of eroding democratic governance if left unchallenged.
“This is a threat to our democracy. If we all keep quiet and allow this illegality, whatever is left of our democracy will soon be eroded. All I ask is for the EFCC Chairman to explain to the good people of Osun State and Nigerians why he froze the Osun State Government account and show proof to support whatever reason he presents.”
Adeleke disclosed that he had directed the state’s Attorney-General to immediately challenge the EFCC’s action before the Federal High Court.
*Davido calls for peaceful, credible elections
As political activities intensified across the state, Grammy-nominated singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has urged candidates, political parties and their supporters to conduct their campaigns peacefully and allow the electorate to determine the outcome of the election without intimidation or violence.
The music star, who is Governor Adeleke’s cousin, said no political ambition was worth the loss of lives or the destabilisation of Osun State.
“If they choose you, let your victory come through their votes. If they choose someone else, let their decision be respected,” he said.
He also appealed to eligible voters to reject fear and participate freely in the election.
“No political ambition, disagreement or election is worth the life of any Osun son or daughter. Come out and vote peacefully. Do not be afraid or intimidated. Your vote is your voice and your choice must be respected,” Davido added.
The singer further appealed to the Chairman of the APC National Campaign Council and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, to use his influence to promote peace and ensure the people of Osun freely choose their next governor. He clarified, however, that reports of possible interference remained unverified.
Meanwhile, the Imole Campaign Council accused the Nigeria Police Force of carrying out what it described as intimidation and unlawful arrests of opposition politicians ahead of the election.
In a statement signed by its Chairman of Media and Publicity Committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, the council alleged that security operatives conducted night raids on the residences of Accord Party leaders and demanded the immediate release of party members allegedly detained by the police.
The campaign council also appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations and the international community to monitor developments in Osun, insisting that law enforcement agencies must operate within the limits of the law.
Also, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) condemned what it described as the freezing of statutory allocations due to Osun’s local governments, alleging that the action was part of a broader political strategy to weaken the Adeleke administration ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party accused the Federal Government of deploying state institutions to intimidate political opponents and distort the democratic process.
According to the ADC, the alleged withholding of statutory allocations, continued occupation of local government councils by APC loyalists and reported arrests of opposition figures formed part of a coordinated campaign to undermine the PDP-led administration in Osun.
The party warned that denying local governments access to statutory allocations could disrupt salary payments, healthcare delivery, education and other essential public services across the state.
“The freezing of the statutory allocations due to the local governments of Osun State is not an administrative decision or a legal dispute. It is political terrorism… carried out with the instruments of the Nigerian state to undermine the state government ahead of the coming governorship election,” the statement said.
The ADC also alleged that security agencies had failed to curb political violence while some opposition politicians were allegedly subjected to intimidation and arrests.
Calling for an immediate reversal of the action, the party urged the Federal Government to allow Osun voters determine the outcome of the election without interference.
“No ruling party should ever confuse electoral competition with military conquest. Political opponents are not enemy combatants. Opposition-controlled states are not occupied territories,” the party added.
*EFCC cites suspicious fund transfers for action
Meanwhile, the anti-graft agency has defended its decision to freeze the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account, saying the action was taken to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds during an ongoing investigation into the state’s finances.
The anti-graft agency said the restriction was part of an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of about ₦11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations, stressing that the move had no connection with the August 15 governorship election in the state.
A letter dated August 5, 2026, and signed by Adenike Babalola, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, on behalf of the Director of Investigation, directed First Bank to place a Post No Debit (PND) restriction on the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The correspondence, referenced 3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/PFS/TA/OSUN/
In the directive, the Commission instructed the bank not to honour withdrawals from the account identified as “Osun State Government Statutory Allocation,” Account Number 2017170947, noting that the instruction followed an earlier communication issued on April 15, 2026.
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists on Wednesday, the Osun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, threatened legal action against the anti-corruption agency over the freezing of the account.
However, in a statement issued later on Wednesday, the EFCC insisted that its investigation into the finances of the Osun State Government commenced in March 2026 and had nothing to do with politics.
The Commission disclosed that several senior government officials, including the state’s Accountant-General, had already been questioned as part of the ongoing investigation.
According to the EFCC, it initially had no intention of freezing the government’s accounts but changed its position after detecting what it described as suspicious financial transactions beginning on August 2.
The agency alleged that large sums of money were being transferred from government accounts into the accounts of several corporate entities, prompting investigators to impose the restriction to preserve the funds.
“The ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of a 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 said.
The EFCC maintained that the action was necessary to prevent what it described as the continued “pillaging” of public resources while investigations were ongoing.
Rejecting allegations that the decision was influenced by the approaching governorship election, the Commission insisted that it acted strictly within its statutory mandate and could not suspend its responsibilities because of political developments.
“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,” the statement added.
The anti-graft agency also revealed that its scrutiny was not limited to Osun State, noting that the finances of several other state governments are currently under investigation as part of ongoing efforts to promote accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.
The Commission reaffirmed its non-partisan stance, urging Nigerians to disregard claims that the freezing of the Osun State Government’s account was politically motivated.
EFCC said the restriction on the account would remain in place pending the conclusion of investigations aimed at safeguarding public moneys.
