The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has expressed significant concern regarding what they term the intimidation of the Osun State administration leading up to the upcoming gubernatorial election. In a joint statement, Minority Leader Hon. Fredrick Agbedi and spokesperson Hon. Afam Victor Ogene criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ordering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to lift a freeze on state accounts, calling the move a belated reaction to public pressure.
The lawmakers challenged the legitimacy of the EFCC’s original decision, highlighting contradictory reports regarding the existence of a valid court order at the time the accounts were blocked. They expressed skepticism about whether the President was truly informed of his appointees’ actions. Furthermore, the caucus accused the federal government of withholding local government allocations, which they argue undermines grassroots governance.
Allegations of systemic bias were central to the caucus’s report, which noted ongoing political violence between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other groups, claiming that security forces have failed to intervene. The arrest of the Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaiye, was described as an assault on the state’s institutional integrity. The lawmakers specifically condemned the Osun State Commissioner of Police for engaging in what they labeled partisan propaganda rather than neutral law enforcement.
Ultimately, the caucus warned that these maneuvers suggest a wider strategy to use federal power against opposition strongholds ahead of the 2027 elections. They demanded that stakeholders, civil society, and international observers monitor the situation closely to ensure that the citizens of Osun can participate in the electoral process without fear or suppression.
