President Bola Ahmed 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 concerns over the timing of the action ahead of the state’s governorship election.
In a statement issued from the State House on Thursday, the President disclosed that the anti-graft agency obtained the court order on August 5, 2026, but said he was unaware of the move before it was carried out.
Tinubu said that while he fully supports the independence of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies, the timing of the EFCC’s action could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and create the impression that federal institutions were being deployed to influence the forthcoming governorship poll.
The President noted that although the EFCC acted pursuant to a court order and within its statutory mandate, he felt “deeply embarrassed” by the development because actions of federal institutions are often perceived as having presidential approval, even when he has no prior knowledge of them.
He reiterated that since assuming office, he has consistently refrained from interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative agencies, insisting that democratic institutions must be allowed to perform their constitutional responsibilities independently, professionally, and without political interference.
According to him, strong democratic institutions operating within the rule of law remain essential to good governance, adding that his administration has deliberately avoided directing the activities of investigative and prosecutorial agencies except where overriding national interest demands intervention.
Tinubu said he had yet to receive a full briefing on the circumstances that prompted the EFCC to seek the freezing order but maintained that the timing of the action, coming just days before the Osun governorship election, was inappropriate.
“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,” the President stated.
Consequently, Tinubu said he had directed the EFCC to immediately return to court to vacate the freezing order and discontinue all legal actions instituted against the Osun State Government in connection with the matter.
The President said the directive was issued in the overriding public interest to safeguard public confidence in the integrity, credibility, and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process.
