Adeleke Withdraws EFCC Suit After Tinubu’s Intervention

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has withdrawn the legal action filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the freezing of a state government account, following an intervention by President Bola Tinubu.

Adeleke made this known on Sunday during an interview with Channels Television shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared him the winner of the Osun governorship election.

The governor said he had directed the Osun State Attorney-General to discontinue the case after Tinubu personally reached out to him over the matter. Adeleke said he was satisfied with the President’s intervention and no longer saw the need to continue with the court action.

The dispute began after the EFCC restricted withdrawals from an Osun government account while investigating the alleged handling of about N11bn in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee.

The anti-graft agency had raised concerns over the movement of money from the account to several corporate organisations. The restriction meant that withdrawals could not be made from the affected account without approval.

Adeleke had strongly opposed the EFCC’s action and instructed the state’s legal team to challenge it in court. His administration had described the restriction as unlawful and politically driven.

Speaking about some of his supporters who were reportedly still being held by the EFCC, Adeleke said his lawyers were in contact with the commission to address the situation.

The governor also questioned why some of his aides, including his spokesperson, had been invited by the anti-graft agency. He said the affected officials honoured the invitations because they had nothing to conceal.

Adeleke further stated that he was not planning to return to the All Progressives Congress despite his decision to support Tinubu’s bid for a second presidential term in 2027.

He maintained that supporting Tinubu was a personal political decision and did not mean he intended to leave his current political platform for the APC.

The governor also alleged that some people had been using Tinubu’s name while discussing the EFCC matter without the President’s knowledge.

Adeleke’s latest comments came after he secured a second term as Osun governor in the August 15 governorship election. He won the election with 511,067 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who recorded 444,815 votes.

The development also comes shortly after Adeleke reaffirmed his support for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, describing the President as a son of Osun State.