President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately take steps to 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 on Thursday from the State House, the President said he became aware that the EFCC had secured a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the state’s accounts. While acknowledging the anti-graft agency’s statutory powers, Tinubu expressed concern that the action could create the impression of federal interference in the electoral process.
The President said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the EFCC’s action, stressing that decisions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to the Presidency, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them.
Tinubu reiterated his commitment to the independence of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies, noting that since assuming office, he had deliberately refrained from interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative bodies.
According to him, institutions of state must be allowed to perform their statutory responsibilities professionally, independently and without political interference, as this is essential for democratic governance and the rule of law.
The President, however, said he had not yet been fully briefed on the circumstances that led the EFCC to obtain the court order but maintained that the timing of the action was inappropriate.
He noted that with the Osun State governorship election only days away, no action should be taken that could undermine public confidence or suggest that any federal agency was being used to influence the electoral process.
Tinubu said that in the overriding public interest and to safeguard the integrity, credibility and fairness of the election, he had directed the EFCC to immediately return to court to vacate the order and discontinue the action against the Osun State Government.