Oyetola's Alleged Involvement In Corruption, Nigerians React

On Thursday, October 7, 2021, a prominent Nigerian online newspaper, PREMIUM TIMES, published an investigative report titled PANDORA PAPERS. The story was a bomb blast and as it is usually, Nigerians have started to react.

President Muhammadu Buhari stopped at the villa reportedly being linked to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State while on a visit to Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has ambitions to contest the presidency of Nigeria in 2023.

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola is the incumbent helmsman of Osun State who also is aspiring to be second-term governor of Osun State.

The investigation revealed that: "But what most Nigerians did not know was that the property at which the duo met was linked to one of the biggest corruption scandals in the country since Buhari became president in 2015.

A PREMIUM TIMES investigation has now revealed that the mansion where Tinubu welcomed President Buhari is not only embroiled in a multi-billion fraud scandal, the Buhari government had actually secured a freezing order on the property from a Federal High Court before the previous owner, who is now an international fugitive, sold it at a huge discount to an offshore company owned by the governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, a known proxy and a relative of Tinubu.

"This revelation emerged as part of the ongoing global Pandora Papers reporting project, led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and in which PREMIUM TIMES is a key participant."

Below are the reactions of Nigerians:

Akintunde Bello sheriff stated that he has read the Premium Times report on the Pandora global frauds leaked documents linking Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State to an offshore company that dubiously bought an unreasonable high discounted palace in London that is suspected to be from the proceeds of fraud. 

"According to the report, the house was originally owned by an international fugitive. Upon the obtainment of a federal high court order by the Federal Government in Nigeria, the ownership of the fraud house was transferred or linked to Oyetola under questionable circumstances. 

"And it was where Oyetola's senior brother Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was warehoused in London for his medical tourism.

"While we wait for all the details on this serious accusation, I will advise Oyetola to advertise his mind to the likely tormenting fate he can face after leaving the office if he fails to review his assets declaration form to accommodate the new fraud house in London which authentication has been done by Pandora and as being established by premium times. 

"Prison after office is not a good life's history or career. Where are Oyetola's information managers to explain this monumental fraud and the roles of Ogbeni Gboyega Oyetola?

"To begin to do the mathematics of conversion of over 9 million pounds to naira, it is not difficult to know that Oyetola must have made such humongous money used for the purchase of the illicit property in London from a dubious arrangement. It has been confirmed that a company Oyetola owns bought the flagged property in 2017 when he was a Chief of Staff under Governor Rauf Aregbesola. 

"Further investigation revealed that Oyetola ceased to be on the board of the offshore company only in 2018 shortly before his swearing-in and his biological children have taken over custody of his shares in the company.

"The right question is why didn't Oyetola add the ill gotten property in his code of conduct and asset declaration form? Why did he also as a Chief of staff illegally purchase the foreign property? Why did the Governor's arm twist the Federal Government who already obtained a federal high court order to confiscate the property from the fugitive original owner and why was he in haste to be a cheap property? 

"It will be right to assume that Oyetola negotiated to acquire the banal palace upon negotiating with the original owner to release it almost for free at around £9 million so that he can frustrate the federal government from doing what was right.

"What is the source of the £9 million? Why did Oyetola contravene the laws to simultaneously hold a public office and run a dubious international foreign business? Why did Oyetola fail to capture his booty in his assets declaration form? Was this also responsible for why the Osun State Governor's refusal to release any pictorial evidence of his journey to his elder Brother, Tinubu in London at the marked house?

"What Oyetola has done is not worse than the allegations that former Senate President Bukola Saraki was made to answer before the code of conduct tribunal. If Oyetola has any honour left in him, he will do good to first publish his assets declaration forms and go a step further to waive his own immunity and defend his noticeable flaws in the tribunal.

"We must inform the Governor's Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan never to robe Oyetola under the garment of sainthood or any moral compass again if they fail to explain this PANDORA infraction. Corruption stinks under Oyetola and APC within the Osun State Government."

Babajide Fadoju explained that it was a funny situation that Premium Times had to go to London, then Katsina back to Osogbo then finally reached destination Lagos because they wanted to link something on Tinubu and Buhari.

"From the Pandora Papers exposè like we have seen with Peoples Democratic Party's golden boy and saint Peter Obi whose hidden businesses and funds he set up in notorious tax and secrecy havens.

"What I expected from Premium Times was the same kind of investigations on Buhari and Tinubu instead all they had on them was why Tinubu and Buhari didn’t ask for the receipt of the house they stayed before they visited.

"In trying to link Tinubu and President Buhari to the Pandora Papers, a herculean task because you have to dabble into falsehood and untruths, the fact remains that Tinubu was not in any way indicted in the Pandora Papers. But then, how will the food Premium Times is cooking be sweet If they don't put up a scathing commentary on Tinubu and Buhari?

"From the headline, you would know that you were about to read a tale of dragon chasing - fictitious and non-existent. The media house went out of its way to abandon the talking point and focus on what doesn't matter - the pursuit of Tinubu and Buhari.

"What Premium Times is telling us is that before we enter a house to visit we must ask for the history of the owner, even ask for where the cement and other materials were bought. Utter rubbish. It is even defamatory that PT and its hack writer are saying that Governor Oyetola is not old enough to own a property before he became Governor with his business associate that he had to be used as front by Asiwaju Tinubu.

"Any discerning mind can see this hatchet job for what it is. This is a ridiculous piece of journalism."

OSUN POITICO, a social development organization observed that Governor Oyetola, a relative of Tinubu, may have sabotaged his own country by buying the exotic property as Nigeria may have to seize it.

Familusi Oladele Isaiah blasted the Osun State Governor for spending £9 Million on a London residence even while salaries were not fully paid and pensioners were dying.

Sadiq Tade stated that Oyetola has few more months to use Osun State money to fund Tinubu's lifestyle and ambition. He assured that the Peoples Democratic Party is coming to Osun State and it is time to reclaim the mandate.

"Aregbesola would have been the champion of the Swaga nonsense but life and interest happened. My man is now the opposition in the government he helped to install in Osun and he is almost a stranger in Tinubu's circle."

Omoyele Sowore, the Revolution Now convener in a Twitter post maintained that, "they have finished NIGERIA! Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his political sons, daughters, and cousins have no known source of income except from the looting of Lagos since 1999."

Alli-Balogun H. Lekan is of the opinion that the Premium Times report is solid and can stand alone. He added that Oyetola is not a small boy that Tinubu and Buhari are needed to make the case against him reliable. 

He explained that Oyetola is not an unknown quantity in Nigeria anymore, hence, he should be allowed to answer for his deeds.

"Tinubu himself will answer the question. I don't have any affiliation with him. Please, copy me when you get the response", he concluded.

Arinola Ifemoa Awokoya in her opinion stated: "I would like to know how Oyetola of Osun State acquired the money he used to buy the property Tinubu was staying in when Buhari visited him in London. I have no issues with Buhari's visit please but I am interested in Oyetola's access to such money.

"This is from the Pandora documents and not Nigerian media. There is some authenticity in it. That is all good. He should explain all that clearly."

Shina Balogun, an Osun-based legal practitioner alleged that, "In case you don’t know, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State currently owes several months of workers salary but he could afford to use the state fund to acquire London property for his cousin Tinubu. In APC, there are Thieves and there are Thieves Pro Max."

In Kolade Oduyemi's opinion, "It is unarguably a fact that Nigerians are presently insensitive and critical of corrupt leaders.

"Protests in the past had nearly no negative effect on the chances of a very corrupt politician attaining the desired seat or winning an election.

"However, the reputation damaging Pandora papers proving the involvement of the present governor of Osun state Gboyega Lawal and Ahmed Bola Tinubu both of the APC political parties the business of insensitivity by electorates is expected not to be on its lowest level anymore.

"With the Peoples Democratic Party seeking and hoping to find some genuine allegation of corruption to prey on and expose the frailties of the All Progressives Congress and constantly seeking new grounds to elevate itself to total recognition and endear itself to the people of Osun State, it is no longer impossible to find the necessary platform on which the PDP will base all its attack .

"It will be a very erroneous belief to assume much of the APC's credibility won't be scalded with the revelation from the Pandora papers."

Murtala Agboola, a social commentator said, "From the information revealed here, I am tempted to conclude that he is complicit.

"That the property was procured in 2013 when he was COS to Aregbesola means that the deal was accomplished while he was serving in government.

"That the property was also acquired at a ridiculously low price when Kola Aluko was trying to dispose it also smacks of complicity.

"Finally it is the way people in government stash away public funds unknown to many members of the public.

"However the upshot will depend on what the federal government wants to do with it.

"This is my personal and private opinion which has nothing to do with what finally transpires, but it's quite unfortunate."