Makinde Claims APC Warning Preceded EFCC Probe Into Oyo Finances

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has claimed that an All Progressives Congress senior figure cautioned him not to seek the presidency in 2027, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filing a broad request for state financial documents immediately thereafter. His monthly newsletter disclosed this allegation, drawing attention to how closely the two occurrences followed one another.

On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Ibadan issued a judgment touching on the EFCC's documentary demand, which Makinde contended vindicated his administration's choice to obtain judicial review of what the agency sought. The EFCC sought documents covering state contracts and contractor payments from 2021 forward, available reports indicate, yet the commission failed to name specific contractors, firms, or subject matters under examination.

Makinde's administration contested this in court, contending that such sweeping requests obligated the EFCC to cite concrete allegations or identifiable investigation targets rather than demand all documentation covering a whole time span. Through its media adviser, Oyo State Government has backed its court action, declaring that Makinde faces no compulsion to duck examination and that requesting the court to clarify the EFCC's investigative scope represented no bid to thwart agency operations.

The government characterized this move as safeguarding proper legal procedure for anti-graft inquiries and guaranteeing transparent stewardship of public funds. Oyo's All Progressives Congress branch disputed this rationale, charging Makinde with seeking to block EFCC access to seven years of financial records.

The opposition demanded that the governor permit the anti-graft body to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities without legal interference. The Federal High Court's judgment confirmed that inquiries demand reasonable identification of targets or substantive allegations, setting a standard for conducting such probes.