ADELEKE DROPS EFCC LAWSUIT, SAYS TINUBU’S INTERVENTION RESOLVED DISPUTE

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By: Muftau Fatimo

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has directed the state Attorney-General to withdraw the lawsuit filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the freezing of the state government’s account, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.

Adeleke disclosed this during an interview with Channels Television on Sunday after he was declared the winner of the Osun State governorship election.

The governor said he was no longer interested in pursuing the case against the anti-graft agency, noting that President Tinubu had personally intervened to resolve the matter.

According to Adeleke, he saw no reason to continue with the legal action after the President stepped in to address the dispute.

The EFCC had placed a Post No Debit restriction on a state government account amid an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of about N11bn in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee allocations.

The commission said the restriction followed what it described as “precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds” from the account into various corporate entities.

Adeleke had rejected the action and directed the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to challenge the restriction in court, describing it as illegal and politically motivated

Speaking on allegations that some of his supporters remained in EFCC custody, Adeleke said his lawyers were engaging with the agency.

“Well, we are… we’ve been talking, I’ve been calling all my lawyers to go there,” he said.

He also questioned the invitation of some of his aides by the EFCC, particularly his spokesperson.

Can you imagine my spokesperson? You are inviting my spokesperson to EFCC. Is my spokesperson a finance minister or accountant? So I told him, ‘Go,’” he said.

Adeleke said his aides complied with the invitations because they had nothing to hide.

The governor also said he was not considering returning to the All Progressives Congress, despite his renewed support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Asked whether he could return to the APC, Adeleke said, “As I’m talking to you right now, I’m not even thinking about that.”

He, however, maintained that his decision not to return to the All Progressives Congress would not stop him from supporting President Bola Tinubu.

Adeleke said his support for the President was separate from his political party affiliation, noting that he had previously contested elections under the APC before joining the Peoples Democratic Party and later the Accord Party.

The governor also alleged that some individuals had invoked Tinubu’s name in relation to the dispute with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission without the President’s knowledge.

His remarks came after he defeated the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election to secure a second term.

According to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji secured 444,815 votes.