The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over a court order restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from accessing records of contracts awarded by the state government since 2021.
The opposition party described the development as a setback to transparency and accountability, insisting that public officials must be open to scrutiny over the management of public funds.
The APC’s reaction followed Wednesday’s ruling of a Federal High Court in Ibadan, which reportedly restrained the EFCC from investigating financial records relating to contracts awarded by the Makinde administration.
Governor Makinde’s media office had defended the court order, describing it as a legal safeguard against what it termed the unlawful access to the state’s official records.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the APC accused the governor of shielding his administration from accountability.
According to Sadare, the governor’s decision to seek judicial protection against the anti-graft agency raises questions about the administration’s commitment to transparency.
He said, “The question on the lips of many patriots now is: Why would a governor be afraid to render an account of resources given to him on trust to benefit the citizenry?”
The APC further alleged that contracts awarded by the Makinde administration deserved thorough scrutiny, maintaining that no public official should be insulated from lawful investigation.
Sadare asserted that anti-corruption agencies would ultimately ensure accountability for the expenditure of public funds in the state.
“Contracts awarded by this administration must be subjected to scrutiny, and the relevant anti-graft agencies will eventually compel the governor to account for every kobo of Oyo money spent in the last seven years,” he said.
The opposition party also expressed confidence that the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies would continue to discharge their constitutional responsibilities despite the court’s interim order.
The controversy comes amid growing public interest in transparency and accountability in the management of public resources by state governments across the country.
Neither the Oyo State Government nor the EFCC had issued any further reaction to the APC’s allegations as of the time of filing this report.
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