APC Defends EFCC Over Osun Account Freeze

The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council in Osun State, Oluwole Oke, has defended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) decision to freeze the state government’s accounts shortly before the governorship election.

Naija News reports that Oke, while speaking on Arise TV, on Monday night, said the anti-graft agency was carrying out its statutory responsibilities and must have had reasons for taking the action.

He, however, commended President Bola Tinubu for directing that the accounts be unfrozen, stressing that the development had no bearing on the APC’s concerns over the conduct and outcome of the election.

Speaking on the controversy, Oke said it would be wrong to condemn a legally constituted agency for carrying out what it considered part of its investigative duties.

“When you have a constitutional body, a lawful agency of government like the EFCC performing their lawful duty, I don’t see anything wrong in that. I’m not the EFCC. The EFCC must have their reasons for freezing the accounts of the Osun State government,” he said.

Oke added that the presidential intervention did not necessarily mean that the anti-graft agency had abandoned whatever investigation prompted the initial action.

He further stated, “I want to commend Mr President for directing the agency to lift their decision. It doesn’t mean that they will not go ahead with their investigation.

“I don’t want to comment about that because I don’t have the facts of the matter, but it is not relevant in this current case.”

The APC campaign chief also dismissed suggestions that the party enjoyed an unfair advantage in the Osun election because it controls the Federal Government.

According to him, electoral contests are largely shaped by local political realities rather than the influence of the party in power at the centre.

“When people allude to the fact that our party is the ruling party and talk about federal might, it doesn’t work like that. Politics is local,” Oke said.

He argued that the presence of APC governors and senior party leaders in Osun during the election period was simply an act of solidarity with the party’s candidate.

“I don’t agree with that, because you don’t expect governors of other states who are members of the APC not to come and show solidarity with their fellow colleagues in Osun State. It’s not a new thing,” he added.