Tinubu Orders EFCC to Vacate Court Order Freezing Osun Government Accounts

President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s bank accounts, citing concerns over the timing of the move ahead of the state’s governorship election.

In a statement personally signed on Thursday, the President said he was “deeply embarrassed” not by the EFCC’s exercise of its statutory powers through a court order, but by the timing of 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,” Tinubu said.

The President explained that his intervention became necessary because decisions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to the Presidency, whether or not he had prior knowledge of them.

Tinubu reiterated that since assuming office in May 2023, he has consistently allowed anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to perform their constitutional duties independently, professionally and without political interference.

He said he had deliberately avoided interfering in the operations of the EFCC and other investigative agencies, maintaining that strong democratic institutions operating within the law are essential for good governance and the rule of law.

Although he said he had not received a full briefing on the circumstances surrounding the court order, Tinubu described its timing as “inauspicious”, noting that Osun State is only days away from its governorship election.

He stressed that no action by any federal agency should create the impression that it is being used to influence the electoral process, adding that preserving public confidence in the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s democracy remains paramount.

The issue came to public attention on Tuesday after Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke disclosed that the EFCC had placed a “Post No Debit” restriction on one of the state’s bank accounts used to pay workers’ salaries. He also alleged that the commission was planning to freeze the accounts of some senior government officials.

Adeleke criticised the development, calling on the anti-graft agency to publicly explain the reasons for freezing the account and provide evidence to justify the decision.

The EFCC, however, defended its action, saying it detected suspicious transfers from the account to several corporate entities and acted to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds.

The commission said the measure was in line with its statutory responsibility to safeguard public resources, insisting that the approaching governorship election could not prevent it from carrying out its legal mandate.

The development has generated widespread political debate, with opposition figures describing the account freeze as politically motivated because of its proximity to the August 15 Osun State governorship election.