The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the state government’s allegations alleging that former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the party’s current governorship candidate, former Commissioner for Finance Bola Oyebamiji have a role in the ₦13.7 billion payroll fraud controversy currently rocking the state.
Describing the claims as a mere rant designed to smear the previous administration, the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi maintained that the controversy is a politically motivated attempt to tarnish the reputation of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the party’s current governorship candidate, former Commissioner for Finance Bola Oyebamiji.
Responding to assertions made by Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Olabisi argued that the Chief Executive Officer and legal counsel of the auditing firm engaged by the state have already provided necessary clarifications.
According to the APC, these officials dispelled any links between the alleged discrepancies and the Oyetola administration, suggesting instead that the current government is attempting to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
The party further asserted that the allegations are timed to undermine the APC’s momentum ahead of the governorship election scheduled for August 8, 2026.
However, the state government has stood its ground, with the Governor’s Spokesperson insisting that any systemic payroll fraud uncovered necessarily points to the tenure of the immediate past administration.
Rasheed contended that the audit covered the civil service records active during Oyetola’s time in office and argued that Governor Adeleke’s decision to engage a third-party consulting firm proves a commitment to transparency.
He maintained that the government would not have initiated such a high-level probe if there were any internal irregularities to conceal from the public eye.
In his rebuttal, Olabisi dismissed these arguments as mischievous, reaffirming that the audit findings have no bearing on the professional record of Bola Oyebamiji during his service as Commissioner for Finance.
The APC boasted that it remains confident that the electorate will see through what it describes as a desperate political tactic, insisting that the focus should remain on the upcoming electoral contest rather than debunked administrative accusations.