President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return to court to vacate the order, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government, citing concerns over the timing of the action ahead of the state’s governorship election.
In a statement he personally signed on Thursday, the President said it had come to his notice that the EFCC obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the Osun State Government’s account.
He said he was embarrassed not by the agency’s exercise of its statutory mandate, but by the timing of the action, noting that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to him as President, even without his prior knowledge.
President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to institutional independence, stating that he has consistently allowed anti-corruption and enforcement agencies to operate without political interference since assumption of office.
“I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law,” the statement read.
However, Tinubu said the proximity of the freeze order to the Osun governorship election compelled him to intervene, stressing that nothing should create the impression that the federal agencies are being used to influence the outcome of the poll.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election,” he said.
He explained that the decision to intervene was made in the interest of prevailing public confidence in the integrity, credibility and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” the statement added.
The President’s directive comes amid mounting criticism from position figures, including ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who had described the freeze as a politically motivated assault on democracy targeting an opposition-controlled state ahead of the election.
