Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola has been accused of buying a London property from Kola Aluko, an ex-associate of former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Mr Aluko and and his associate Jide Omokore were indicted in the US and Nigeria for multi-million-dollar fraud and money laundering violations allegedly in collusion with Mrs Alison-Madueke.
Reports quoting Pandora Papers alleged that Oyetola bought the mansion worth €11.95 million in London from a company belonging to Aluko.
However, the governor’s chief press secretary Ismail Omipidan said in a statement on Saturday that the governor resigned from the company, Aranda Overseas Corporation, that was allegedly used to buy the said property in 2011.
Oyetola’s resignation from the company, he added, was consequent upon his appointment as chief of staff to immediate past governor Rauf Aregbesola.
He noted that the governor did not break any law as he equally resigned his directorship of Global Investments Offshore Ltd. upon his appointment in 2011.
“Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, governor of Osun State, resigned his directorship of Aranda Overseas Corporation in 2011, when he took up political appointment. He also surrendered his shareholding of the same company.
“Since 2011 till date, he has had no association, dealings and business transactions with the said company, as he is neither a director nor a shareholder of the said company.
“He, therefore, could not have acquired the said property in 2017 either directly or through the said company as being alleged,” he said.
