Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed the state's attorney-general to withdraw the lawsuit filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the freezing of a state government bank account, attributing his decision to a direct intervention by President Bola Tinubu.
Governor's Announcement on Channels Television
Adeleke made the announcement during an interview with Channels Television, hours after he was declared winner of the August 15 governorship election. "I'm putting them behind. What else do I want? I have instructed my attorney general to drop it. Mr President has done well. He called me. What more do I want?" Adeleke said.
The governor's remarks came after the EFCC froze the state's statutory allocation account as part of an investigation into the alleged fraudulent handling of government funds. The Osun government had subsequently taken the anti-graft agency to court.
Details of the Lawsuit and EFCC Freeze
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1762/2026 and filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 5, sought to nullify the freeze order and claimed N2 billion in exemplary damages against the commission. The legal action was a response to the EFCC's freezing of the state's statutory allocation account.
President Tinubu had earlier directed the EFCC to lift the freeze, stating that he was embarrassed by the incident because actions taken by federal agencies were routinely blamed on his office even when he had no prior knowledge of them.
Adeleke Blames Oyetola, Defends Tinubu
On the invitation of several state officials for questioning by the EFCC, Adeleke said he had directed his lawyers to accompany them. "Well, we have been talking. I have been calling all my lawyers to go there," he said, adding that some officials who appeared before the commission were released after questioning.
The governor maintained that the EFCC invitations were politically driven, and he laid responsibility squarely at the feet of Gboyega Oyetola, the former Osun governor who now serves as minister of marine and blue economy. Adeleke argued that Oyetola's family connection to the president gave him undue influence.
"All these things is Oyetola because he is the cousin to the president. He is dropping the president's name," Adeleke said. "I know that the president didn't know about the EFCC one. That is why he had to call me and stop it."
He also said he believed Tinubu was unaware of many of the actions carried out in his name by federal institutions. "Most of these things, the president doesn't know. The president has a lot of foreign work and jobs to do," Adeleke added.
Context of the Osun Governorship Election
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Osun State is heading into its most watched political contest in years, with 14 candidates on the ballot for the governorship election set for Saturday, August 15, 2026. While the field is broad, three candidates have emerged as the most prominent contenders: incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Najeem Salam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The withdrawal of the lawsuit marks a significant shift in the relationship between the Osun State government and the EFCC, following the president's personal intervention in the matter.
