President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court to vacate an order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, saying the timing of the action, coming just days before the state’s governorship election, could undermine public confidence in the credibility of the electoral process.
The directive was contained in a statement personally signed by the President on Thursday from the State House, Abuja.
Tinubu said although he was not questioning the EFCC’s statutory powers to investigate alleged financial crimes or obtain court orders in the course of its duties, he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the agency’s action, which he noted had inevitably been linked to his administration.
The EFCC had secured a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government, a development that immediately triggered political controversy in the state ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The President stressed that since assuming office, he had deliberately refrained from interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies, insisting that democratic institutions must be allowed to carry out their constitutional responsibilities independently, professionally and without political interference.
He said his administration remained committed to strengthening institutions rather than controlling them, noting that agencies established by law should be free to exercise their mandates without seeking presidential approval.
Tinubu, however, said while he had yet to receive a full briefing on the facts that prompted the EFCC to seek the court order, the timing of the action was “inauspicious” and warranted presidential intervention.
According to him, with Osun only days away from electing a governor, no action should create the impression that any federal agency was being deployed to influence or interfere with the electoral process.
He said preserving public confidence in the integrity, fairness and credibility of Nigeria’s democracy constituted an overriding public interest.
“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 should not be interpreted as an attempt to weaken the anti-corruption campaign but rather as a necessary step to protect the integrity of the democratic process and ensure that the forthcoming election is conducted without perceptions of federal interference.
Background
The President’s directive comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State following the EFCC’s move to freeze the state government’s accounts over allegations that have not yet been publicly detailed by the anti-graft agency.
The development had sparked criticism from the Osun State Government and the opposition, with Governor Ademola Adeleke challenging the court order and accusing the Federal Government of attempting to cripple the state’s finances on the eve of the governorship election.
The EFCC’s action also fuelled allegations of political intimidation, claims the Federal Government had yet to officially address before the President’s intervention.
Tinubu’s decision to publicly order the withdrawal of the court order is expected to calm political tensions while reinforcing his administration’s stated commitment to ensuring that federal institutions are not perceived as instruments of electoral manipulation.
The latest intervention marks one of the rare occasions the President has publicly directed an anti-corruption agency to halt ongoing legal proceedings, underscoring the sensitivity of actions capable of affecting public confidence in elections.
