…says ‘our candidate has nothing to fear, ready for investigation’
. Vows Yayi won’t be distracted by spurious fraud allegations
By Segun Olatunji
Ogun State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council has strongly denied allegations of a ₦250 billion budgetary fraud leveled against its governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.
The APC Campaign Council, in a press statement issued on Friday, September 18, 2026, by Chairman of its Media and Publicity Committee, Chief Kayode Odunaro, described the claims as “fake news,” “baseless,” and a politically motivated attempt to derail Senator Adeola’s 2027 governorship ambition.
The council was reacting to a widely circulated online petition, reportedly promoted by a media platform, Platform Times, which claimed a faceless group had dragged the Ogun West Senator before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged massive budget insertions and looting of public funds.
The statement described the allegations against the Ogun APC governorship hopeful as a fundamental misunderstanding of the budget process.
Defending the Senator, who serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the APC Campaign Council stated that the allegations betrayed a gross ignorance of how Nigeria’s national budget is structured and executed.
The council however further clarified the legislative procedure through the following key points:
1. Collective Legislative Act: The national budget is an Act of the National Assembly passed by 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives before presidential assent. It is not the property of an individual lawmaker.
2. No Unilateral Power: No single legislator, including the Appropriations Committee Chairman, has the power to single-handedly insert or approve ₦250 billion worth of projects.
3. Executive Arm Handles Execution: Budgetary allocation does not equal project execution. The procurement, contract awards, and disbursements of funds are strictly managed by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) under the Executive arm. Lawmakers are not contractors and do not handle the cash.
4. Oversight Function: Once the budget becomes law, the role of legislators shifts strictly to oversight to ensure funds are used properly.
5. Allocation is Not Corruption: The council stressed that the mere existence of a budget provision is not evidence of wrongdoing.
While expressing concern over the rising wave of anonymous petitions and sensational media blackmails, the Campaign Council maintained that Senator Adeola has nothing to hide and so is ready for investigation.
“The Council has no objection whatsoever to any lawful inquiry by the ICPC or any other competent anti-corruption agency. Senator Adeola has nothing to fear from any legitimate investigation based on verifiable facts and evidence,” the statement added.
The ruling APC therefore urged the opposition to focus on issue-based campaigns and present clear programmes to the people of Ogun State rather than manufacturing controversies.
The Ogun APC Campaign Council concluded by assuring supporters that Senator Adeola remained fully focused on his legislative duties and his commitment to the “Renewed Hope Agenda” in Ogun West and across the state, asserting that no amount of political blackmail will stop his governorship aspiration.
