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President Bola Tinubu orders the EFCC to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account
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President says he supports the independence of anti-corruption agencies but insists no federal institution should take actions capable of creating the impression of political interference in an election.
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Directive marks a dramatic twist in the prolonged face-off between the EFCC and the Osun State Government, which has challenged the account restriction in court and accused the Commission of targeting the state for political reasons.
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Tinubu says he is yet to receive full details of the investigation but considers the timing of the EFCC’s action inappropriate, ordering the commission to discontinue the proceedings
August 06, (THEWILL) — President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately approach the court to vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account,
He stated the timing of the action could cast doubt on the credibility and fairness of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
THEWILL reports that the directive, issued in a presidential statement on Thursday, marks a dramatic intervention in the escalating legal and political dispute between the anti-graft agency and the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke, barely days before the August 15 governorship poll.
Tinubu said that although he remained committed to preserving the operational independence of anti-corruption agencies, he could not ignore the wider implications of the EFCC’s action on public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
READ ALSO: EFCC Breaks Silence, Says ₦11bn Fraud Probe Forced Freeze Of Osun Account
“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.
Tinubu explained that every action taken by federal institutions is often attributed to the Presidency, regardless of whether he was consulted beforehand.
“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 stated.
The President reaffirmed his long-standing policy of allowing institutions such as the EFCC to perform their statutory responsibilities independently and without political interference.
“Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference,” he said.
He added that he had deliberately refrained from interfering in the operational activities of investigative agencies because strong democratic institutions operating within the law remain essential to good governance.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval,” Tinubu noted.
However, the President said the proximity of the Osun governorship election required exceptional caution to avoid any perception that federal institutions were being deployed to influence the electoral process.
“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of the 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 the EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene.
“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 stated.
Consequently, Tinubu directed the anti-graft agency to immediately discontinue the legal process that resulted in the freezing of the account.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
READ ALSO: How Politicians are Allegedly Using Voters’ NINs, Bank Details to Influence Osun 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 declared.
Background
THEWILL recalls that the controversy began after the EFCC directed that a Post No Debit (PND) restriction be placed on the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account as part of an investigation into the alleged diversion of about N11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds, and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations.
Governor Ademola Adeleke condemned the restriction as illegal, describing it as “an attack on democracy,” and subsequently filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Osogbo challenging the action.
The Osun State Government consistently denied the allegation of financial misconduct, insisting that available public funds had been transparently deployed to infrastructure, workers’ welfare, and other developmental projects.
The EFCC, however, defended its action, maintaining that it acted within the powers conferred on it by the EFCC Act and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The commission also insisted that it had only restricted one government account after detecting suspicious financial transactions and argued that the action was necessary to safeguard public funds pending the conclusion of its investigation.
President Tinubu’s directive now introduces a new dimension to the dispute, effectively ordering the anti-graft agency to withdraw the court-backed restriction in an effort to preserve public confidence in the integrity of the forthcoming Osun governorship election.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
