President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of Nigeria, on Thursday, August 6, 2026, directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts, saying the timing of the action could undermine public confidence ahead of the state’s governorship election.
The directive followed the EFCC’s decision to obtain a court order freezing one of the state’s accounts as part of an investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the Osun State Government.
Also read: EFCC says it can freeze Osun accounts for 72 hours without court order
In a statement issued by the State House, Tinubu said he was not questioning the anti-graft agency’s constitutional mandate but expressed concern that the move came barely days before the August 15 governorship election.
“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 orders EFCC to lift Osun account freeze after noting that actions taken by federal institutions are often interpreted by the public as reflecting the position of the Presidency, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them.
“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 said.
The President reaffirmed his long-standing position that anti-corruption agencies must be allowed to operate 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,” Tinubu said.
He added that he had deliberately avoided directing the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative agencies because of his belief in strengthening democratic institutions and upholding the rule of law.
Despite that position, Tinubu said the proximity of the Osun governorship election required exceptional intervention to preserve the credibility of the democratic process.
“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 stressed that no action by any federal institution should create the impression that government agencies were being used to influence the outcome of an 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 added.
Consequently, Tinubu directed the commission to immediately reverse the legal action.
“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 statement read.
The development marks a significant shift in the dispute between the EFCC and the Osun State Government, which has consistently denied allegations of financial misconduct involving about ₦11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee allocations.
Earlier, the EFCC defended its action, insisting it acted within the law after detecting what it described as suspicious transactions on one of the state’s accounts.
The commission also maintained that it could temporarily restrict access to an account for up to 72 hours before obtaining a court order where necessary.
The account freeze drew criticism from the Osun State Government, legal practitioners and political stakeholders, who questioned both the timing of the action and its potential impact on the electoral environment.
Governor Ademola Adeleke described the restriction as unlawful and instructed the state’s Attorney General to challenge it in court.
Also read: EFCC says it can freeze Osun accounts for 72 hours without court order
Tinubu’s intervention comes at a politically sensitive moment as preparations intensify for the August 15 governorship election, with the Presidency emphasising that safeguarding public trust in democratic institutions remains a priority.
Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
