Blessing Bello, Reporting
OSOGBO — The Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council’s Diaspora Committee has called on anti-corruption agencies to immediately freeze bank accounts allegedly linked to the payment of N13.7 billion to ghost workers in the state, warning that the funds could be diverted for vote-buying ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo, the Secretary of the Committee, Tunmise Ajiboye, expressed concern that anti-graft agencies had remained silent following the discovery of payroll fraud within the state’s civil service system.
It would be recalled that in January 2023, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the firm hired by the Osun Government, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun, revealed that the State Government was paying ghost workers a total of N13,716,914,129.28 annually. She had reportedly discovered that a single individual received into his bank account salary meant for 5,615 ghost workers.
Mr Ajiboye stressed that Ms Bakrin-Ottun had publicly accused Governor Ademola Adeleke, his elder brother, and his Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye, of involvement in the alleged diversion of funds during a national television programme, noting that none of those mentioned had publicly refuted the allegation to date.
“We have petitioned embassies, including those of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, to bar Adeleke and his Chief of Staff from entering those countries if they are not cleared by our anti-graft agencies, especially the EFCC,” he said.
“We urged these countries to place a visa ban on Adeleke, Kazeem Akinleye, and Adedeji Adeleke (the Governor’s elder brother), as they may be indirectly involved in money laundering and intend to use the money for vote-buying.
“We are urging the EFCC and ICPC to beam their searchlight on the billions of Naira meant for Osun people going into a single account. Yet the Osun Government is unbothered about the corruption and is boasting around seeking re-election. Is it to steal more money?
“We have gone round the state; we can confidently say that Adeleke has failed to deliver his 2022 campaign promises, having failed to turn Osogbo into London.”
Mr Ajiboye expressed confidence that the APC’s gubernatorial candidate would win the 15 August 2026 election and promised that the committee was “working assiduously to woo indigenes of Osun in the diaspora to invest in the state, which will go a long way to tackling unemployment and boosting our economy.”
As of the time of filing this report, neither Governor Adeleke nor his Chief of Staff had responded to the allegations.
The EFCC and ICPC have yet to issue an official statement on the committee’s request.
