EFCC denies freezing Adeleke and Davido's bank accounts as dancing senator misses Osun governorship debate

ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials have denied allegations that they froze the bank accounts of musician David Adeleke popularly known as Davido and that of his uncle Senator Ademola Adeleke.

Last week, it was revealed that the EFCC had frozen seven different bank accounts belonging to the Adeleke family, including those of Davido and his billionaire father Deji. This move has been widely condemned as a political move by the APC to weaken the opposition as the Osun State governorship polls loom because Senator Adeleke is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.

On September 22, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, currently incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola's chief of staff is the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and the election is expected to be a two-horse race between him and the dancing Senator Adeleke of the PDP. Yesterday, four of the leading candidates  were involved in a live head-on television debate but Senator Adeleke was inexplicably absent.

Responding to the claims that it was being used by the government to interfere with the electoral process, the EFCC said there was no truth to the claim. Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC's spokesman, added that the story was being peddled by the PDP and some politically motivated elements out to disparage the image of the anti-graft agency.

Mr Wilson said: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been drawn to media publications alleging that it had frozen the account of Senator Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party in the September 22, 2018 Osun State governorship election and those of his family members, including the musician, David Adeleke. The commission calls on members the public to disregard the report, which is patently false and contrived to dress the agency with a partisan garb in the unfolding political contest in Osun State.

“For the avoidance of doubt, at no time did the EFCC place a freeze order on any account belonging to members of the Adeleke family. The purported freeze order which has unfortunately been amplified by pliable sections of the media without any attempt at confirmation, is alien to the commission and another example of fake news."

He added that the  EFCC frowns at the seeming attempts by faceless forces to drag it into the political fray and for the umpteenth time, restates its neutrality as a law enforcement organisation that is sworn to uphold the law at all times, irrespective whose interest is at stake. Senator Adeleke is yet to announce whether he now has access to all his bank accounts, having originally said he could not make withdrawals from them.

Yesterday in Oshogbo, the candidates involved in the live TV debate included Fatai Akinade of the African Democratic Congress, Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress Moshood Adeoti of the Action Democratic Party and Iyiola Omisore of the Social Democratic Party. Senator Adeleke's podium on the stage remained vacant as it was expected that he might still show up.