Freezing Osun State Accounts Before 10 Days to Election: Who Is the EFCC Really Fighting For?
It is with deep concern that I condemn the action of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in freezing the Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank, just ten days before the governorship election. This account, reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, was placed on a “Post No Debit” status by the anti-graft agency. The question every fair-minded Nigerian must ask is this: Did the EFCC freeze the accounts of other states before their elections? Did this happen in Ekiti State when elections were held there? If the answer is no, then we must call this what it truly is — the ruling federal government, through one of its agencies, using the instruments of office to cripple the machinery of a state government simply because an election is around the corner.
The great French philosopher Baron de Montesquieu once warned: ” There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.” When an agency that is supposed to fight corruption is instead used to freeze salaries and punish a state ten days before an election, that is exactly the kind of tyranny Montesquieu warned us about. It is not justice — it is intimidation wearing the uniform of legality.
Governor Ademola Adeleke did not rely on state money to contest in 2017 or 2018. He eventually won the 2022 election on the strength of his connection with the people and the failures of those before him. So this freezing of state funds is not only unfair — it is a waste of time. If Governor Adeleke has performed well, the good people of Osun State will vote for him regardless of what the EFCC does. You cannot use fear to replace the will of the people.
President Bola Tinubu needs to be reminded that even President Olusegun Obasanjo did not do this to him when he was seeking a second term as Governor of Lagos State in 2003. Obasanjo did not freeze Lagos State’s accounts. Even in 2007, when Tinubu chose Babatunde Raji Fashola to succeed him, the federal government under Obasanjo did not weaponize anti-graft agencies against Lagos. So why is this happening now to Osun?
This development is a serious political setback for Governor Adeleke’s camp. But it also raises a painful question: Who advised Governor Adeleke to endorse President Tinubu’s second term bid? Was it done merely to impress the President, or was it born out of desperation for his own second term? Whatever the reason, this should serve as a bitter lesson to all our political leaders and politicians: loyalty is very important in any political journey, but loyalty without principle is a trap. When you dine with the lion, do not be surprised when it turns on you.
The people of Osun are not fools. They see what is happening. They know when power is being abused to win an election. And they will respond the only way true democrats can — with their votes. Let the EFCC do its job without becoming a political weapon. Let democracy breathe. And let our leaders learn that no amount of intimidation can silence a people who have made up their minds.
Otunba Ademola Akinnola
Opinion Columnist
Public Affairs Commentator and Advocate for Good Governance
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