President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take immediate steps to reverse the freezing of Osun State Government accounts.
According to the President, the timing of the action could undermine public confidence in the state’s forthcoming governorship election.
The President issued the directive in a personally signed statement released on Thursday.
He said although the anti-graft agency acted based on a valid court order, he was deeply uncomfortable with when the decision was carried out.
Tinubu said he was concerned that many Nigerians could wrongly conclude that the Federal Government was attempting to influence political events in Osun State through one of its agencies.
According to the President, institutions established by law must be allowed to perform their duties independently.
However, he stressed that such actions should not create doubt about the fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process, particularly during an election period.
He explained that he only became aware that the EFCC had secured a court order to freeze the state’s accounts after the development had taken place.
“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. 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.”
Tinubu noted that since taking office, he has deliberately avoided interfering in the operations of law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies.
He said his administration has consistently defended the independence of such institutions and encouraged them to carry out their constitutional responsibilities without political influence.
He maintained that his approach has always been to allow agencies to discharge their mandates professionally and within the limits of the law.
“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.”
The President added that although he had not yet received a complete briefing on the circumstances that led the EFCC to approach the court for the freezing order, the period in which the action was taken made it necessary for him to step in.
“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.”
Tinubu said the governorship election in Osun State is only days away and insisted that no action by any federal institution should cast doubt on the credibility of the electoral process.
According to him, Nigerians must not be given reasons to believe that security or anti-corruption agencies are being deployed to influence political outcomes in any state.
He said protecting the integrity of elections remains a responsibility of every institution of government and that public confidence must not be weakened by avoidable controversies.
“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.
“Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The President’s directive effectively instructs the EFCC to return to court and seek the removal of the freezing order placed on the Osun State Government’s accounts.