President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to swiftly head back to court to lift the mandate locking the accounts of the Osun State Government.
The President stated that the instruction was essential to safeguard public trust in the democratic system, pointing out that the state was merely days away from its gubernatorial poll.
Tinubu, in a communication released by the State House on Thursday, declared that he was not against the EFCC’s application of its statutory duties but expressed concern regarding the timing of the action.
“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.
The EFCC had secured the restriction as part of its inquiry into alleged financial irregularities involving the Osun State Government.
The commission had previously defended the step, maintaining that its measures were within the law and that it held the mandate to apply limitations on accounts suspected to be tied to financial offences.
The anti-corruption organ also mentioned that it could restrict accounts for 72 hours without a judicial mandate prior to seeking judicial authorization for extended restrictions.
Tinubu, nevertheless, noted that measures taken by federal institutions were frequently attributed to him as President, whether or not he possessed prior awareness 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 stated.
The President mentioned that since taking office, he had consistently held that anti-graft and law enforcement agencies should function autonomously without 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 refrained from instructing or meddling in the operational activities of the EFCC or other investigative agencies due to his conviction in robust democratic institutions.
“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,” he said.
Tinubu noted that although he was yet to be fully briefed on the details that prompted the EFCC’s decision to pursue the court mandate, the timing of the step called for his intervention.
“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,” the President said.
He expressed that the closeness of the poll made it necessary to avoid actions that could weaken trust in the electoral system.
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“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,” Tinubu added.
The President said his directive was declared in the paramount public interest and to uphold the integrity of the democratic process.
“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,” he said.
Tinubu subsequently commanded the commission to drop the action against the state government.
“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.
This development unfolds amidst a dispute between the Osun State Government and the EFCC over the locking of the state’s accounts.
The state government had rejected the commission’s claims of financial misconduct, denying accusations of misappropriation of N11bn and accusing the EFCC of attempting to rationalize its action.
The EFCC had maintained that its inquiry was not politically driven and that its core duty was to investigate and prosecute suspected instances of financial crimes.
The instruction by the President came ahead of the Osun governorship election, which has heightened scrutiny of actions by public institutions and their potential influence on the electoral process.
