August 6, 2026 | 12:50 PM
ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has described the EFCC’s freezing of Osun State’s statutory allocation account as “a dangerous assault on democracy.”In a statement issued Thursday by his aide Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said restricting the account days before the August 15 governorship election raises questions about the neutrality of institutions meant to uphold the law.“It is impossible to ignore the implications of freezing a state’s principal operational account on the eve of a governorship election.
It could disrupt governance, delay salaries, impede essential services and create an atmosphere of intimidation,” he said.The former Vice President added that while anti-graft agencies must investigate financial misconduct, they must follow due process and avoid actions that appear politically motivated.“If there are concerns requiring investigation, the law provides due process. Agencies must not be seen to be deployed to influence political outcomes,” he stated.
Atiku also alleged a pattern of selective use of federal institutions against opposition states, citing the withholding of Osun’s local government allocations.“Freezing the state’s allocation account is not just an attack on the Osun government. It is a direct assault on the people of Osun whose salaries and services will suffer,” he said.He called on the EFCC to immediately lift the restriction and urged election institutions to remain impartial.
The EFCC said it placed a “Post No Debit” on the account as part of a probe into the alleged diversion of ₦11 billion and insisted the action was not linked to the election.Governor Ademola Adeleke has alleged the account is used for salary payments and accused the EFCC of trying to cripple the state ahead of the poll.
