Osun APC payroll fraud probe call urges ICPC and EFCC to investigate dispute between state government and consulting firm

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Friday called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to launch a thorough investigation into alleged payroll fraud involving the Osun State Government and consulting firm Sally Tibbot Limited in Osogbo.

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Addressing journalists in Osogbo, the Osun APC spokesperson, Mr Kola Olabisi, said the probe was necessary to determine the extent of culpability of all individuals connected to the disputed staff audit exercise conducted on behalf of the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Olabisi expressed concern over what he described as the governor’s handling of the controversy arising from the alleged refusal to implement the audit report submitted by the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, Sa’adat Bakrin-Ottun.

Olabisi said it was troubling that the audit findings were reportedly presented to Dr Deji Adeleke, a member of the Adeleke family, rather than directly addressed within formal government structures.

Olabisi questioned what official role Dr Deji Adeleke played in the verification of state documents, noting that the businessman had previously distanced himself from partisan politics.

The opposition party specifically urged the anti-corruption agencies to investigate the alleged payroll fraud and determine the level of involvement of all named individuals, including Dr Deji Adeleke and Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye.

In a swift rebuttal, the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party defended the administration, accusing the APC of attempting to politicise a reform process.

The Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, said it was revealing that the APC had become, in his words, the loudest defender of a consultant whose figures allegedly failed basic verification checks.

Bisi argued that any credible scrutiny should instead focus on what he described as a “legacy payroll mess” inherited from the previous government, which the current administration was seeking to sanitise through reforms.

The PDP challenged the APC to present verifiable evidence to statutory agencies rather than, as Bisi put it, engaging in “media calisthenics”.

The party reiterated its confidence in Governor Adeleke’s commitment to accountability and welcomed what it described as any credible investigation capable of uncovering the truth.

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The escalating dispute underscores intensifying political tension in Osun State, with both major parties trading accusations over transparency, governance and control of public finances.