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, citing the need to protect public confidence in the credibility of the forthcoming governorship election.
The EFCC had said it froze the bank accounts of the Osun State Government to prevent the alleged diversion of public funds under investigation.
The anti-graft agency, in a statement issued on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, said it had been investigating the Osun State Government since March 2026 over the alleged fraudulent management of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) amounting to about N11 billion.
Reacting to the development which has been eliciting reactions from Nigerians via a statement on Thursday, Tinubu said he was concerned by the timing of the EFCC’s action, noting that although the anti-graft agency acted within its legal mandate by obtaining a court order, the move could create the impression of federal interference in the state’s electoral process.
Tinubu stressed that he remains committed to the independence of anti-corruption agencies and has consistently avoided interfering in their operations. However, he said the proximity of the Osun governorship election made it necessary to intervene in the overriding public interest.
The president stated that while he had not been fully briefed on the circumstances that led to the freezing of the state’s accounts, he believed no action should be taken that could undermine the integrity, fairness and credibility of the democratic process.
He therefore instructed the EFCC to return to court without delay to vacate the order and discontinue all legal actions instituted against the Osun State Government in relation to the account freeze.
Tinubu stated: “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.
“I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.
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“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers.
“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.
“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.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
“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.”
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