Adeleke Says Osun Election Will Send Strong Message To APC

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has said the August 15 governorship election is about more than securing re-election, describing it as a chance for voters to affirm their democratic rights and send a strong message to the APC.

In a post on his X handle on Thursday, Adeleke alleged that some political actors had sought to punish Osun residents for electing him in 2022, stressing that the election should reinforce the principle that the people’s mandate must be respected.

His comments come amid a dispute with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which placed a Post-No-Debit restriction on the state’s statutory allocation account about 10 days before the election.

The EFCC said it imposed the restriction while investigating the alleged diversion of about N11 billion from Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and FAAC allocations, insisting the action was lawful, non-partisan and aimed at protecting public funds.

Adeleke, however, rejected the commission’s explanation, arguing that the restriction was imposed without a court order and violated the constitutional rights of state governments. He said he had directed the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, to challenge the action at the Federal High Court in Osogbo.