President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately vacate the court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, describing the timing of the action as inappropriate ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
In a personally signed statement issued on Thursday, the President said that while the EFCC acted within its statutory powers by obtaining a court order, carrying out the action just days before the election risked creating the wrong impression.
“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,” Tinubu said.
“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.”
Tinubu said he has consistently allowed anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to operate independently without political interference, stressing that his administration remains committed to strengthening institutions and upholding the rule of law.
He, however, said he was not yet fully briefed on the reasons behind the EFCC’s decision to seek the court order but believed the timing warranted presidential intervention.
“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of 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 EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene,” he said.
The President warned that no action should create the impression that any federal agency was being used to influence the outcome of the forthcoming governorship election in Osun.
“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 added.
Tinubu announced that he had directed the EFCC to return to court immediately to vacate the freezing order and discontinue the action against the Osun State Government.
“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,” he said.
The EFCC had obtained the court order over alleged suspicious financial transactions involving the Osun State Government.
The decision drew criticism from the state government and opposition figures, who argued that freezing the state’s accounts could disrupt governance and raise concerns over the credibility of the August 15 governorship election.
