The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the resignation of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke following allegations of a N13.7 billion annual payroll fraud within the state’s civil service.
The demand comes after the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a consultancy firm engaged by the Osun Government in January 2023, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun, reportedly uncovered widespread payroll irregularities.
According to her findings, the state was allegedly paying N13,716,914,129.28 annually to ghost workers.
She further alleged that her report, submitted to the governor and his elder brother, Adedeji Adeleke, revealed that a single individual received salaries meant for 5,615 ghost workers into one bank account.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo, APC Director of Media, Chief Kola Olabisi, speaking on behalf of the state party chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, described the development as a betrayal of public trust and demanded the governor’s resignation.
“The people of Osun State deserve transparent, responsible, and accountable leadership. The N13.6 billion public fund being paid to ghost workers can be redirected to improve the lives of thousands of Osun youths,” Olabisi said.
The party also urged anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to launch a thorough investigation into the allegations.
Adding his voice, former Commissioner for Local Government, Hon. Adebayo Adeleke, challenged Adedeji Adeleke to speak out, recalling a past statement in which he allegedly vowed to expose any wrongdoing by his brother.
However, the Osun State Government has dismissed the allegations, accusing the APC of sponsoring the consultancy firm to discredit the administration.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, the government denied the existence of any N13 billion payroll fraud.
He stated that verification of the audit report showed that more than two-thirds of those labelled as ghost workers were legitimate staff with proper identification and documentation.
The government further maintained that Governor Adeleke initiated the staff audit to investigate reports of a padded payroll inherited from the administration of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
“If there is any fraud, it is not that of Governor Adeleke but that of the previous administration,” the statement said, insisting that the audited payroll structure predated the current government.
The controversy has intensified political tensions in Osun State, with calls for independent investigations expected to shape the next phase of the unfolding dispute.