Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has alleged that his predecessor Gboyega Oyetola was behind the freezing of the state government’s account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Adeleke made the allegation on Tuesday during the Arise Town Hall for Osun governorship candidates ahead of the poll on August 15, accusing Oyetola of using the name of President Bola Tinubu and federal institutions to exert pressure on his administration.
The governor claimed that Oyetola, who now serves as Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, had been making various demands while allegedly telling government agencies that the President had directed them to act.
“I am sure he (Oyetola) told EFCC to freeze our account, that Mr. President said it should be frozen,” Adeleke said.
He said the situation changed after Tinubu personally contacted him, claiming that the President expressed shock and embarrassment over what had happened.
“So, when Mr President called, a lot of people were shocked. Because when Mr President called, he said he was embarrassed. He said it is not acceptable because I told him, the President, that he would not want democracy to go down; he wants a free and fair election,” Adeleke said.
He further accused Oyetola of exploiting his relationship with Tinubu to pursue political interests in Osun, alleging that his predecessor had not recovered from his defeat in the previous governorship election.
“Oyetola is feeling that pain of defeat. He is only using the President to vow that he will destroy Osun State. He is using federal might,” the governor alleged.
Adeleke and Oyetola have remained political rivals since the 2022 Osun governorship election, which Adeleke won after defeating the then-incumbent Oyetola.
The governor is seeking another term of four years in office.
