By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
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, citing the proximity of the state’s governorship election.
The directive was contained in a statement issued by the State House on Thursday,6 August, 2026 in which the President said he was not opposed to the EFCC’s exercise of its statutory powers but was troubled by the timing of the action, taken just days before Osun heads to the polls.
“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission obtained a court order on Wednesday, 5 August, 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,” he said.
The EFCC had obtained the order as part of its investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the state government, insisting its actions were within the law and that it had authority to restrict accounts suspected to be linked to financial crimes.
The commission had also stated it could freeze accounts for 72 hours without a court order before seeking judicial approval for further restrictions.
Tinubu noted that actions taken by federal institutions were often attributed to him as President, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge.
“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 said.
He maintained that since assuming office, he had consistently held that anti-corruption agencies must operate independently.
“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, adding that he had deliberately avoided interfering in the EFCC’s operations because of his belief in strong democratic institutions.
Despite this stance, the President said the timing compelled him to act, even though yet to be fully briefed on the facts behind the EFCC’s decision.
“I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene,” he said,
stressing that nothing should be done to create the impression that federal agencies were being deployed to influence the election. “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 said.
He explained the directive was issued in the overriding public interest to preserve the integrity of the democratic process, before ordering the commission to discontinue the action.
“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 statement read.
The development comes amid an escalating dispute between Osun State and the EFCC over the freeze.
The state government had dismissed the commission’s claims, denying allegations of misappropriating N11bn and accusing the EFCC of attempting to justify its action, while the commission insisted its investigation was not politically motivated and that its mandate was to investigate and prosecute suspected financial crimes.
The presidential directive comes ahead of the Osun governorship election, heightening scrutiny of the actions of government institutions and their possible impact on the electoral process.
