Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has accused his predecessor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of being behind the freezing of the state government’s account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Adeleke made the allegation on Tuesday during the Arise Town Hall meeting for Osun governorship candidates ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The governor accused Oyetola of allegedly using his relationship with President Bola Tinubu and federal institutions to mount pressure on his administration.
Adeleke claimed that Oyetola had been making demands while allegedly invoking the President’s name and telling federal agencies that Tinubu had directed them to take certain actions.
“I am sure he (Oyetola) told EFCC to freeze our account, that Mr President said it should be frozen,” Adeleke alleged.
According to the governor, the situation changed after Tinubu personally contacted him and expressed shock and embarrassment over the development.
“So, when Mr President called, a lot of people were shocked. Because when Mr President called, he said he was embarrassed. He said it is not acceptable because I told him, the President, that he would not want democracy to go down; he wants a free and fair election,” Adeleke said.
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The governor further accused Oyetola of exploiting his relationship with Tinubu to advance his political interests in Osun State, alleging that his predecessor had yet to come to terms with his defeat in the previous governorship election.
“Oyetola is feeling that pain of defeat. He is only using the President to vow that he will destroy Osun State. He is using federal might,” Adeleke alleged.
Adeleke and Oyetola have remained political rivals since the 2022 Osun governorship election, which Adeleke won after defeating Oyetola, who was the incumbent governor at the time. Adeleke is seeking re-election for another four-year term in the August 15 poll.
