Fresh controversy has emerged ahead of the Aug. 15 governorship election in Osun State following reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has placed a “Post No Debit” restriction on a bank account belonging to the Osun State Government.
According to documents reportedly obtained by Vanguard, the affected account, domiciled with First Bank of Nigeria, is used for the payment of workers’ salaries.
The reported restriction comes barely 10 days before the governorship election and follows an earlier allegation by Governor Ademola Adeleke that the EFCC planned to freeze accounts belonging to the state government and some senior government officials ahead of the poll.
Reacting to the reported development, the Osun State Government, through the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, described the action as an attempt to disrupt government activities in the run-up to the election.
Governor Adeleke maintained that there was no legal basis for freezing the state’s accounts, arguing that the EFCC lacked the statutory authority to impose such restrictions on a state government’s bank accounts.
A source within the state administration, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, reportedly confirmed that the account had been restricted.
“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 was quoted as saying.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued an official statement confirming or denying the reported account restriction.
The reason for the alleged action also remained unclear.
The development has heightened political tension ahead of the governorship election, with stakeholders awaiting an official response from the anti-graft agency.
