Abuja, Aug. 6, 2026 – President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return to court immediately to vacate the court order freezing an account of Osun State Government.
He said the timing of the action could undermine public confidence in the forthcoming governorship election.
Tinunu gave the order on Thursday in a statement he personally signed.
He said he became aware that the EFCC had obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the state’s accounts and expressed concern over the timing of the move.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The president said that although he respects the EFCC’s constitutional mandate and has consistently refrained from interfering in the operations of anti-corruption agencies, he considered the action inappropriate given that Osun is only days away from its governorship election.
He said his administration remains committed to allowing law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally and without political interference.
The president said strong democratic institutions operating within the law were essential to good governance, which is why he has deliberately avoided directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative agencies.
He said that although he had yet to be fully briefed on the reasons behind the EFCC’s application for the court order, Tinubu said the timing was “inauspicious” and warranted his intervention.
“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 said that in the overriding public interest and to preserve confidence in the credibility and fairness of the electoral process, he had directed the EFCC to immediately return to court to vacate the order and discontinue the action against the Osun State Government.
Recall that Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, had on Tuesday, announced that the EFCC had frozen one of the state’s accounts domiciled with a commercial bank.
He said the EFCC placed the account, used for payment of workers’ salaries, had been placed on “Post No Debit” status.
“All I ask is for the EFCC chairman to explain to the good people of Osun State and to Nigerians in general why he froze Osun State Government account and show proof to support whatever reason he presents.
“This and all other illegalities being visited on Osun are turning our democracy into a huge joke,” the governor had announced.
