The warning was contained in a statement signed by Mr Adeleke’s spokesman, Rasheed Olawale, and released on Tuesday.

The statement partly read: “We received direct evidence of ongoing plans by the outgoing government of Osun State to embark on emergency awards of contracts worth several billions of naira.

“The government has placed advertisements in several newspapers inviting contractors for expression of interests in some projects. We are also aware of other financial dealings ongoing within the government, including alleged sanitisation of financial documents among others.

“We are using this medium to call on contractors and consultants to avoid any contractual dealings with the outgoing government. This urgent alert becomes necessary to avoid any avoidable risk-taking as the incoming government will not bear responsibility for any sinister contractual obligations.”

The statement also warned financial institutions that “entering into loans or other associated obligations with the outgoing government amounts to collaboration for financial illegality.” 

Reacting to the statement, the state Commissioner for Information, Funke Egbemode, told Peoples Gazette in a telephone conversation that until the end of Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s tenure, government activities will continue. 

“The tenure of governor Gboyega Oyetola does not expire until November 27, so, governance will not stop, work will go on, everybody is in the office, all commissioners are back in the office, so work will continue and we will rather not be distracted by what someone who has not been sworn in nor know what governance is about is saying.

“And if governance will go on, we will continue to do whatever we need to do to serve the people of Osun State,” Mrs Egbemode said.