Adeleke Withdraws Legal Suit Against EFCC, Says Tinubu’s Personal Intervention Resolved the Matter
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed the state Attorney-General to withdraw the lawsuit previously filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the freezing of a state government account, stating that President Bola Tinubu’s personal intervention had effectively settled the dispute. Adeleke disclosed the decision during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, shortly after he was officially declared winner of the Osun State governorship election held on Saturday. The governor explained that he no longer saw any reason to continue pursuing legal action against the anti-graft agency, given that the President had already stepped in to address the matter directly.
Speaking on the development, Adeleke stated plainly that he was ready to move past the dispute entirely, noting that he had already instructed his Attorney-General to drop the case. He credited President Tinubu with resolving the situation, explaining that the President had personally reached out to him regarding the matter, an act he described as sufficient grounds to end the legal confrontation. The governor’s remarks reflected a broader tone of reconciliation, coming shortly after his decisive re-election victory over his closest challenger from the All Progressives Congress.
The dispute originated after the EFCC placed a Post No Debit restriction on one of the Osun State government’s bank accounts as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged mismanagement of approximately eleven billion naira drawn from Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee. According to the commission, the restriction was imposed following the discovery of what it described as the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the account into multiple company entities, prompting the agency to freeze the account while investigations continued. Adeleke had previously described the action as politically motivated and damaging to the operations of his administration, instructing the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to challenge the restriction in court on the grounds that it was unlawful.
Addressing the broader political context surrounding the EFCC matter, Adeleke alleged that certain individuals had been invoking President Tinubu’s name in connection with the account freeze without the President’s actual knowledge or involvement. He specifically pointed to former Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola, describing him as a key figure behind the EFCC’s actions and noting his family ties to the President. According to Adeleke, President Tinubu had genuinely been unaware of the situation prior to being formally briefed, which he said explained why the President ultimately chose to call him and intervene directly once he became aware of the circumstances surrounding the account freeze.
Adeleke also used the interview to address broader questions regarding his political affiliations moving forward, particularly given his renewed public endorsement of President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. When asked directly whether he intended to return to the All Progressives Congress, the governor firmly stated that he was not considering such a move at this time. He clarified that his personal support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid remained entirely separate from questions of his own party affiliation, noting his political history, which included previous involvement with the APC before he moved to the Peoples Democratic Party and later settled with the Accord Party, the platform under which he successfully contested and won re-election.
With the governorship election now concluded and the legal dispute against the EFCC set to be formally withdrawn, Adeleke indicated that his focus would now shift toward governance and the continued development of Osun State throughout his second term in office. The resolution of the EFCC matter, alongside the conclusion of a closely watched electoral contest, marks a significant turning point for the governor as he begins preparations for another four years leading the state administration.
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