President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to immediately vacate the court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, citing the need to protect public confidence in the integrity and fairness of the state’s forthcoming governorship election.
The President said although he remained committed to preserving the operational independence of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies, the timing of the EFCC’s action, coming just days before the Osun governorship election, could create the impression that a federal institution was being deployed to influence the electoral process.
In a statement personally signed by the President on Thursday, he disclosed that he only became aware that the EFCC had obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts.
He expressed embarrassment over the timing of the action, noting that the public often attributes every action of federal institutions to the Presidency, whether or not he had prior knowledge of such decisions.
Tinubu reiterated that since assuming office, he has consistently resisted interfering in the operations of the EFCC and other investigative agencies, insisting that they must be allowed to carry out their constitutional responsibilities independently, professionally and without fear or favour.
According to him, strong democratic institutions operating within the confines of the law remain critical to good governance and the rule of law, adding that government agencies should ordinarily exercise their statutory powers without requiring presidential approval.
The President, however, said while he had yet to receive a full briefing on the circumstances that informed the EFCC’s decision to seek the court order, he was convinced that the timing was inappropriate given the proximity of the governorship election in Osun State.
He stressed that no action by any federal agency should give room for allegations of interference in the democratic process or undermine public confidence in the credibility of the election.
“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 President said.
Tinubu maintained that his intervention was guided solely by the overriding public interest and the need to preserve the integrity, credibility and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to the independence of anti-corruption institutions.
