Osun election not just about winning, Adeleke warns APC

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has framed the upcoming August 15 governorship election as a critical juncture, asserting it transcends mere victory and serves as a vital message to the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the imperative of respecting the electorate.

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That is why the August 15 election is more than just winning. It is about securing a decisive victory that sends a clear and unmistakable message to the APC: the people of Osun State must always be respected, their democratic choice must be honoured, and no one should ever seek to punish them for exercising their constitutional right to vote.

Adeleke, in a recent X post, alleged that Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Gboyega Oyetola and APC governorship candidate Bola Oyebamiji have leveraged their federal influence to penalize Osun State residents for supporting him in the previous election. He detailed how their actions have allegedly harmed the welfare of state workers and threatened the livelihoods of civil servants, traders, and artisans.

"The August 15 election is more than just winning," Adeleke wrote. "It is about securing a decisive victory that sends a clear and unmistakable message to the APC: the people of Osun State must always be respected, their democratic choice must be honoured, and no one should ever seek to punish them for exercising their constitutional right to vote."

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On numerous occasions, Oyetola and Oyebamiji have used their influence within the ruling party at the federal level to punish the people of Osun State simply because they chose to vote for us in 2022. Their actions have targeted the welfare of our workers and threatened the livelihoods of our civil servants, traders, artisans, and ordinary citizens.

The governor's remarks coincide with a dispute between his administration and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The EFCC placed a Post-No-Debit restriction on the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account, citing an ongoing investigation into alleged fraudulent handling of funds. The commission stated its action was non-partisan and aimed at safeguarding public money.

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The commission said the restriction followed what it described as suspicious transfers from the account to different corporate entities from August 2, and maintained that its action was non-partisan and meant to safeguard public funds.

Adeleke vehemently rejected the EFCC's explanation, labeling the freeze an "assault on the constitutional rights of subnational governments." He emphasized that the commission acted without a court order and has directed the Attorney-General to challenge the action in court.

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the freeze as an assault on the constitutional rights of subnational governments