President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take immediate steps to lift the court order freezing a bank account belonging to the Osun State Government, citing concerns over the timing of the action ahead of the state’s governorship election.
In a statement personally signed on Thursday, the President said he was concerned that the development could create the impression that federal institutions were being used to influence the electoral process.
Tinubu clarified that his concern was not with the EFCC’s statutory responsibility or its decision to obtain a court order, but with the timing of the action, given the proximity of the 15 August governorship election.
He consequently instructed the anti-graft agency to return to court to vacate the order and discontinue all related proceedings against the Osun State Government in the matter.
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The President explained that, as Head of State, actions taken by federal agencies were often attributed to him, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them.
Tinubu reiterated that since assuming office in May 2023, he had consistently allowed anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to operate independently, without political interference.
He said he remained committed to strengthening democratic institutions and preserving the rule of law but considered it necessary to intervene because of the sensitive political atmosphere in Osun State.
According to the President, no action by any federal institution should give the impression of interfering with a democratic election.
The controversy began after Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke alleged that the EFCC froze one of the state’s accounts, including an account used to pay workers’ salaries, by placing it under a Post No Debit restriction.
The governor also claimed the Commission planned to freeze the accounts of some senior government officials.
The EFCC, however, defended its action, stating that investigators detected suspicious transfers of large sums of money from the account into several corporate accounts, prompting the agency to act to safeguard public funds.
The Commission maintained that the decision formed part of its legal mandate to prevent the alleged diversion of public resources and insisted that the investigation was unrelated to the forthcoming governorship election.
