President Bola Ahmed 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.
In a statement personally signed on Thursday at the State House, Abuja, the President said he was embarrassed by the timing of the EFCC’s action, noting that although he respects the agency’s independence, every action taken by a federal institution is often attributed to the Presidency.
Tinubu explained that he has consistently allowed anti-corruption agencies to operate independently without political interference since assuming office, stressing that he had no prior knowledge of the EFCC’s decision to obtain the court order on August 5, 2026.
The President, however, said the timing of the action was inappropriate because Osun State is only a few days away from its governorship election. He warned that the development could create the impression that a federal agency was being used to influence the electoral process.
According to him, preserving public confidence in the integrity, credibility and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process is of overriding importance. He added that although he was yet to be fully briefed on the facts behind the EFCC’s action, the public interest required his intervention.
Tinubu therefore directed the EFCC to immediately return to court to vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts and discontinue the action instituted against the state in connection with the matter.
The directive comes amid growing political tension ahead of the August 2026 governorship election in Osun State, with the freezing of the state’s accounts having generated widespread reactions from political stakeholders and residents.
