President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government, saying the action could undermine public confidence in the forthcoming governorship election.
Tinubu gave the directive in a statement issued by the State House on Thursday, expressing support for the EFCC’s constitutional mandate to investigate financial crimes but describing the timing of the court order as inappropriate.
“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government. I feel deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action,” the President said.
He explained that although he had consistently allowed anti-corruption agencies to operate independently without political interference, the proximity of the Osun governorship election made it necessary to intervene in the public interest.
“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 any other agency of the Federal Government is being used to interfere with the election,” Tinubu added.
The President subsequently directed the anti-graft agency to discontinue the action against the Osun State Government and immediately take steps to vacate the court order freezing its accounts.
Tinubu also noted that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to the Presidency, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them, stressing that preserving the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process remained paramount.
The EFCC had obtained the court order as part of an investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the Osun State Government. The commission maintained that the action was lawful, insisting its investigation was not politically motivated and that it acted within its statutory powers.
The development follows a dispute between the Osun State Government and the EFCC over allegations of financial misconduct. While the commission is investigating alleged financial infractions, the state government has denied any wrongdoing and accused the anti-graft agency of attempting to influence public perception ahead of the governorship election.
