The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of illegality when it asked FirstBank to impose a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the account of the state’s statutory allocation.
In an August 5, 2026 letter issued to the Managing Director of a new generation bank, Abuja and headlined “RE: Investigation Activities”, the EFCC ordered that the Osun State Government Statutory Allocation Account, account number 2017170947, be placed under a PND restriction.
The letter, with reference number CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/PFS/TA/OSUN/VOL.17/166, was signed by the Director of Investigation, Adenike Babalola, The Nation reported.
In furtherance of the aforesaid, please place a Post-No-Debit on the account. This request is issued under Section 38 (1) & (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and Section 24 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
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Reacting to the development, Adeleke, who talked with journalists at Government House, Oke-Fia, Osogbo, today, termed the EFCC’s conduct as an abuse of due process.
The governor said the commission did not have a court order when it instructed the bank to freeze the account.
He said he had asked the Attorney-General of the state and the Commissioner for Justice to contest the decision of the EFCC before the Federal High Court in Osogbo.
Adeleke said the limitation was the latest in what he called a persistent harassment of his government and Accord Party members ahead of the governorship race on August 15. Campaigns and Elections
“We got a letter from our banker this morning forwarding a letter from the EFCC directing the bank to freeze Osun State government account,” the governor added.
‘This was carried out without any judicial order. We are meant to be in a democracy, and in a democracy the rule of law must always triumph. “We will not accept a situation where federal authorities over-reach on the constitutional rights of sub-national governments.
The governor challenged the EFCC chairman to tell the public what the justification for freezing the account was and offer proof to back up the decision.
“My only request for the EFCC Chairman is to explain to the good people of Osun State and Nigerians at large why he froze the Osun State government account and show proof to back up whatever reason he gives,” he added.
He attributed the development to what he termed as months of political harassment of his administration.
Despite the development, he said his administration would proceed with its re-election bid.
Earlier, the state government had distributed N20,000 palliatives to civil officials across the state, a situation confirmed by the governor’s spokesman, Olawale Rasheed.
The current payout, he said, is part of the administration’s comprehensive strategy in further improving the welfare of public officials, especially in easing the effects of economic stresses on their livelihoods. Humanised Economics
In the meantime, reacting to the development, a member of the All Progressives Congress Campaign Committee, Comrade Kehinde Ayantunji, said, “Governor Ademola is rewriting the history of electoral fraud in Nigeria because what has happened is unprecedented in our electoral history, for a state government not only to have the guts to buy votes but to use the government fund to buy votes. This is economic sabotage at its highest.
The account in question is the same account the EFFC is using to buy votes but the EFFC has said nothing. If that is the offence, I salute the anti-graft agency.
The state government had a meeting 2 days ago, notably with Civil Servants, pensioners and some other groups and they pledged to provide them money. “Surprisingly, they’ve been moving the money since yesterday.”
He thanked the EFCC for stopping the further ‘raiding’ of the state’s coffers and charged the anti-graft agency to go one step further by arresting those involved in the criminal conduct particularly the vote purchasers and sellers.
“Ridiculously, the state government is terming vote buying a palliative, to show they don’t have integrity. Even when Federal Government brought palliative, they refused to give to the public. These are swindlers and the state government is merely making noise to seek sympathy.” It would have been an institutional compromise if the anti-corruption agent had ignored such election fraud.”
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