President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government.
The President said the directive was necessary to safeguard public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process, as Osun State prepares for its governorship election in the coming days.
Tinubu disclosed this in a statement issued by the State House on Thursday. He stressed that he was not opposed to the EFCC carrying out its statutory responsibilities but expressed concern over the timing of the action.
“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 must state that 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.
The EFCC secured the court order as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the Osun State Government.
The anti-graft agency had defended its decision, insisting that it acted within the law. It also stated that it has the authority to freeze accounts suspected to be linked to financial crimes for up to 72 hours without a court order before seeking judicial approval for an extension.
However, Tinubu noted that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to him as President, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them.
“This is so because every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action,” he said.
The President reiterated his commitment to the independence of anti-corruption agencies.
He said that since assuming office, he has consistently maintained that the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies should be allowed to perform their duties independently, professionally, and without political interference.
Tinubu added that he had deliberately refrained from interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC because he believes strong democratic institutions are essential for good governance and the rule of law.
Despite this position, the President said the timing of the court order required his intervention.
He explained that although he had not yet received a full briefing on the facts that led the EFCC to obtain the order, the proximity of the Osun governorship election made the action inappropriate.
“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene,” Tinubu stated.
He warned that no action should create the impression that federal institutions are being used to influence the outcome of the election.
“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 added.
Tinubu said his directive was issued in the overriding public interest to preserve the credibility, integrity, and fairness of the democratic process.
He subsequently ordered the EFCC to immediately return to court to vacate the order and discontinue all actions relating to the freezing of the Osun State Government’s accounts.
The development follows a dispute between the Osun State Government and the EFCC over the commission’s decision to freeze the state’s accounts.
The state government has denied allegations of misappropriating N11 billion. It also accused the EFCC of attempting to justify its actions through politically motivated claims.
The EFCC, however, maintained that its investigation is not politically driven and insisted that it is carrying out its legal mandate to investigate and prosecute suspected financial crimes.
The President’s directive comes as political activities intensify ahead of the Osun governorship election, drawing increased attention to the role of government institutions and their impact on the electoral process.
