The political atmosphere in Osun State has become heated as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke engage in a war of words over an alleged N13 billion payroll fraud linked to a staff audit conducted by Sally Tibbot Limited.
The controversy erupted following claims by the APC that the ongoing audit uncovered massive irregularities, including thousands of alleged ghost workers on the state payroll. The opposition party accused the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke of attempting to cover up what it described as “monumental fraud” under the guise of a verification exercise. The APC called for an independent probe by anti-corruption agencies, insisting that public funds must be accounted for transparently.
However, the Accord Party-led government dismissed the allegation as politically motivated propaganda. In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the government maintained that there was no N13 billion payroll scam. According to the statement, verification of the audit report showed that more than two-thirds of the individuals initially flagged as ghost workers were confirmed to be legitimate staff with proper identification and employment records.
The state government further argued that the payroll under scrutiny was inherited from the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. It stressed that Governor Adeleke initiated the audit precisely to address longstanding complaints of payroll padding and financial leakages. “If there is any fraud at all, it predates this administration,” the statement noted, adding that the governor remains open to investigation by anti-corruption agencies.
In response, the APC insisted that Governor Ademola Adeleke should allow a full forensic investigation rather than “deflect blame to the past administration.” The party maintained that the people of Osun deserve clarity on the true state of the payroll and public finances.
As both parties continue to trade accusations, civil society groups have called for calm and urged relevant authorities to conduct a transparent, independent investigation to put the matter to rest and restore public confidence in the state’s financial management.