The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council Diaspora Committee in Osun State has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately freeze bank accounts allegedly linked to the payment of ₦13.7 billion to ghost workers in the state civil service.

The committee also alleged that the funds could be diverted for vote-buying ahead of the 2026 governorship election, urging anti-graft agencies to act swiftly to prevent what it described as further misuse of public resources.

Speaking in Osogbo at the Tinubu/Shettima campaign office, the Secretary of the APC Guber Campaign Diaspora Committee, Tunmise Ajiboye, expressed concern over what he called the silence of anti-corruption agencies despite earlier revelations of payroll irregularities in the state.

He referenced claims attributed to Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun, Executive Vice Chairman of a firm engaged by the Osun State Government in January 2023, who allegedly disclosed that about ₦13,716,914,129.28 is paid annually to ghost workers. She also allegedly uncovered a case in which a single individual received salaries intended for 5,615 workers.

Ajiboye further alleged that certain individuals, including Governor Ademola Adeleke, his elder brother Adedeji Adeleke, and the Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye, were mentioned on national television in connection with the controversy, insisting they had not publicly refuted the claims.

He disclosed that the committee had petitioned foreign missions, including those of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, seeking visa restrictions on the mentioned individuals pending clearance by relevant Nigerian anti-graft agencies.

According to him, “We are urging the EFCC and ICPC to beam their searchlight on the billions of naira meant for Osun people allegedly going into a single account, while the government appears unbothered and continues campaigning for re-election.”

He also criticised the Adeleke administration’s performance, claiming it failed to fulfil campaign promises and improve infrastructure in Osogbo and other parts of the state.

Despite the allegations, Ajiboye expressed confidence that the APC governorship candidate would win the August 15, 2026 election, adding that the committee was engaging Osun indigenes in the diaspora to attract investment and address unemployment in the state. (The Nation)

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