Ademola Adeleke, re-elected Osun State Governor, has instructed the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to formally withdraw its suit challenging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the freezing of state bank accounts.
Adeleke confirmed the directive on Sunday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, revealing the decision followed direct intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who ordered the anti-graft agency to unfreeze the state’s accounts and discontinue legal proceedings.
The state government previously filed a lawsuit against the EFCC, characterising the account freeze as a politically motivated attempt to cripple administrative operations. The anti-graft agency countered that the restriction was tied to an active investigation into the alleged diversion of approximately ?11 billion. This sum involved Ecology Funds, state intervention funds, and allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
Adeleke stated that the Presidential intervention addressed the core issues behind the litigation, rendering further court action unnecessary.
‘I am putting this behind us,’ Adeleke said during the broadcast. ‘What else do I want? I have instructed my Attorney General to drop it. Mr President has done well. He called me. What more do I want?’
Addressing concerns regarding accountability, Adeleke noted he instructed legal counsel to assist state aides summoned for questioning by federal investigators. He emphasised that his administration operates with complete transparency and maintains nothing to conceal regarding state finances.
While the governor acknowledged political interests may have prompted the initial account freeze, he clarified that he does not hold President Tinubu personally responsible for the EFCC’s actions.