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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Diaspora Committee for the Governorship Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately freeze bank accounts allegedly linked to the payment of N13.7 billion to ghost workers in Osun.
The committee said it was concerned the funds could be diverted for vote-buying ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election.
According to the committee, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the auditing firm that carried out an audit of the state’s workers, revealed that Osun is paying ghost workers N13,716,914,129.28 annually.
The committee further claimed that the audit showed that one individual received salary payments meant for 5,615 ghost workers.
Addressing journalists at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office in Osogbo, yesterday, the committee secretary, Tunmise Ajiboye, alleged that anti-graft agencies had remained inactive despite the payroll fraud being discovered within Osun’s civil service system.
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Ajiboye said the auditor implicated Governor Ademola Adeleke’s elder brother and Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye, alleging they played one role or the other in the alleged siphoning of money meant for ghost workers—pointing to a related report on national television, which he said the individuals have not denied.
He also said the committee has petitioned embassies including those of the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, urging them to bar Adeleke and his Chief of Staff from entering their countries unless cleared by Nigerian anti-graft agencies, especially the EFCC.
“We urged these countries to place a visa ban on Adeleke, Kazeem Akinleye, and Adedeji Adeleke, the governor’s elder brother,” Ajiboye said.
He alleged that the individuals may be indirectly involved in money laundering and could be using the money for vote-buying.
He further called on EFCC and the ICPC to investigate the alleged flow of billions of naira “meant for Osun people,” adding that the Osun government has allegedly shown little concern about the alleged corruption while campaigning for reelection.
On the committee’s assessment of the governor’s performance, Ajiboye claimed that Adeleke failed to deliver on his 2022 campaign promises, describing Osogbo as not having transformed as promised.
He expressed confidence that the APC governorship candidate will win the August 15, 2026 election and said the party is working to attract Osun indigenes in the diaspora to invest in the state, saying this could help tackle unemployment and boost the economy.
