President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.
The President said the directive was necessary to protect public confidence in the democratic process, noting that the state was only days away from its governorship election.
Tinubu, in a statement issued by the State House on Thursday, said he was not opposed to the EFCC’s exercise of its statutory powers but expressed concern over the timing of the action.
He disclosed that the EFCC had obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government, adding that his discomfort stemmed not from the commission exercising its lawful mandate, but from the timing of the action.
The EFCC had obtained the order as part of its investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the Osun State Government.
The commission had earlier defended the move, insisting that its actions were within the law and that it had the authority to place restrictions on accounts suspected to be linked to financial crimes. The anti-graft agency also stated that it could freeze accounts for 72 hours without a court order before seeking judicial approval for further restrictions.
Tinubu, however, said actions taken by federal institutions were often attributed to him as President, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them, noting that any action taken by a federal institution was usually credited to him even without his awareness.
The President said that since assuming office, he had consistently held that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to carry out their statutory duties independently, professionally, and free of political interference.
He added that he had deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency, explaining that he firmly believed strong democratic institutions operating within the law were essential to good governance and the rule of law.
Tinubu noted that although he was yet to be fully briefed on the facts that informed the EFCC’s decision to seek the court order, he had no doubt that the timing of the action was inappropriate, compelling him to intervene.
He said the proximity of the election made it necessary to avoid actions that could give the impression that the EFCC, or any other federal government agency, was being used to interfere with the election, given that Osun State was only days away from its governorship poll.
The President said his directive was issued in the overriding public interest, in order to preserve public confidence and safeguard the integrity, credibility, and fairness of the democratic process.
Tinubu subsequently ordered the commission to discontinue the action against the state government, directing the EFCC to immediately return to court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it had instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard.
The development comes amid a dispute between the Osun State Government and the EFCC over the freezing of the state’s accounts.
The state government had dismissed the commission’s claims of financial misconduct, denying allegations of misappropriation of N11bn and accusing the EFCC of attempting to justify its action.
The EFCC had insisted that its investigation was not politically motivated and that its mandate was to investigate and prosecute suspected cases of financial crimes.
The directive by the President came ahead of the Osun governorship election, which has heightened scrutiny of actions by government institutions and their possible impact on the electoral process.
