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OSUN ACCOUNT FREEZING BACKFIRES

● APC / AMBO SINK IN PUBLIC RATING

● ADELEKE’S POPULARITY SOARS

The freezing of Osun state government accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has backfired with APC leaders here in Abuja expressing dismay at such unpopular action on the eve of guber election.

Soundbites around power circles in Abuja fingered Marine Minister, Gboyega Oyetola and the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji as the mastermind of the action with elements within the EFCC distancing themselves from the illegal action.

Checks revealed that Mr Oyetola had coerced the EFCC chairman to issue the freezing directive using the names of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a development many Osun and national APC leaders found to be against the interest of the party.

The reason cited unofficially for freezing the account- stopping the government from paying palliatives for public workers- was also considered by even hard core APC leaders as a political misadventure which has deepened the anger of Osun labour movement against the APC and its candidate.

“ No candidate has won Osun elections without the support of the labour movement . It is strange our leader, the minister and Mr Oyebamiji will push for such action at this delicate time. This is a very unpopular, counter -productive action.

“Our candidate and his wife have been sharing money openly for the past one month. Is that vote buying? How do we now convince the voters when we are stupid enough to attempt to stop common ten thousand naira to public servants? ”, an APC chief said on condition of anonymity in Abuja.

Other public reactions have been very negative as many around the seat of power question the legality of the EFCC conduct, citing the section of the EFCC act quoted for the freezing as unapplicable in addition to the fact that there is no court order authorising the freezing of the said account.

Across social media platforms and commentaries by several national stakeholders, the account freezing was an illegal action taken for the wrong reasons and with an anti-people mindset.

“ I can tell you for sure that Oyebamiji has sunk to the lowest level in the popular acceptability rating. We can not beat Adeleke before despite our deployment of security. Now we added a major political blunder to it- openly working against public servants.

“ Our party is in a deep mess going into the election because of bad management and poor past records. The whole world has been watching that dancer’s campaigns all over the state. How do we beat such a person with our stupid actions?”, another APC chieftain flying to Osun through Ibadan submitted.