Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has placed a "Post No Debit" restriction on an Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank, barely ten days before the state's governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026. The action, which effectively freezes the account, was confirmed by multiple sources on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, just hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke publicly alleged that the anti-graft agency was planning to freeze the state's accounts and those of top government officials ahead of the poll. According to documents seen by Vanguard and other national media outlets, the affected account, reportedly used for the payment of workers' salaries, was placed on the restriction by the anti-graft agency. A source close to the administration confirmed the development, stating, "I can confirm that the state government account has been frozen by the EFCC. It is no longer an allegation. The governor will address the press shortly to update the public on the situation."
The freeze has heightened political tensions in Osun State, where the governorship election is now just days away. Governor Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party, had on Tuesday, August 4, raised the alarm over an alleged EFCC plot to freeze all state government accounts and those of top officials. In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the reported move as an attempt to cripple government activities and disrupt the administration's operations in the lead-up to the poll. "There is no legal basis for freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government," Adeleke said, arguing that the EFCC lacks the statutory authority to take such action against a state government. He insisted that the anti-graft agency has no constitutional or legal powers to freeze the account of a state government, and maintained that the move was politically motivated and aimed at sabotaging his administration.
The state government's reaction came shortly after the restriction was imposed, with officials describing the action as a deliberate attempt to paralyse governance and create chaos ahead of the election. A government source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Vanguard that the affected account is one of the state's operational accounts used for the payment of workers' salaries. The source added that the governor would address the press to update the public on the situation. As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued an official statement regarding the development, and the reason for the account restriction remained unclear. The commission had not publicly commented on the freeze, leaving many to speculate about the motives behind the action.
The development comes amid escalating political tensions in Osun State, where the ruling Accord Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress have traded accusations of violence, intimidation, and electoral manipulation ahead of the August 15 poll. Governor Adeleke had on Monday, August 3, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene, alleging that seven Accord Party members had been killed, more than 20 others shot, and over 60 supporters detained in what he described as a campaign of political persecution. The governor had also warned against a repeat of the political crisis that followed the disputed 1983 election in the old Western Region, declaring that "there won't be rigging in Osun" and that the people would resist any attempt to subvert their will.
The EFCC's freeze of the state government account has added a new and potentially explosive dimension to the already charged political atmosphere. Critics have described the action as an unprecedented intervention by a federal agency in a state's financial affairs, coming at a critical moment in the electoral cycle. Supporters of the governor have condemned the move as a politically motivated attack on the state government, while others have called on the anti-graft agency to provide clarity on the legal basis for the restriction. As the clock ticks down to the August 15 election, the people of Osun State are watching closely to see how the standoff between the state government and the EFCC will unfold, and whether the account freeze will have any impact on the conduct of the poll. For now, the governor has vowed to address the public, while the EFCC remains silent on the matter, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over one of the most consequential off-cycle elections in Nigeria's recent political history.
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