Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is planning to freeze all bank accounts belonging to the state government ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday evening in Osogbo, and signed by the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi on Wednesday morning.
The governor, in a the statement claimed that he had received credible reports that the anti-graft agency had concluded plans to freeze the accounts of the state government as well as those of top government officials.
According to Adeleke, the alleged move is aimed at crippling government operations in the days leading to the governorship poll.
He described the reported plan as “the height of lawlessness,” insisting that there was no legal basis for such an action.
According to the statement: “The governor further argued that the EFCC has no constitutional or legal authority to freeze the bank accounts of a state government, maintaining that any attempt to do so would amount to an abuse of power.
“The governor who said such a plan, if true, amounts to the height of lawlessness, said the plot to freeze the state government accounts is meant to paralyze government activities ahead of the August 15th governorship election. The governor affirmed that there is no legal basis or justification for any push to freeze the state government accounts, declaring that the anti-graft agency has no legal powers to freeze the account of a state government.”
Adeleke called on relevant authorities and Nigerians to take note of what he described as an attempt to undermine the operations of his administration ahead of the election.
The EFCC had not responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
