KEY POINTS

• President Bola Tinubu has ordered the EFCC to return to court and vacate the order freezing Osun State Government accounts, citing concerns over its timing ahead of the governorship election.
• The EFCC says the account restriction is linked to an investigation into alleged financial infractions involving about N11 billion and maintains that its actions are lawful and not politically motivated.
• Tinubu reaffirmed the independence of anti-corruption agencies but warned against any action capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to immediately return to court and seek the vacation of an order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government.

The President said the decision was necessary to protect public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process, particularly as the state prepares for its governorship election.

Tinubu’s directive followed concerns over the timing of the EFCC’s action, which came only days before the election and has triggered political and legal controversy in the state.

In a statement issued by the State House on Thursday, Tinubu clarified that his intervention was not an attempt to prevent the EFCC from exercising its statutory responsibilities.

Rather, he said he was concerned about the timing of the commission’s decision to obtain the court order, given the proximity of the Osun governorship election.

The EFCC had obtained the order on August 5, 2026, as part of an investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the Osun State Government.

Tinubu said he was “deeply embarrassed” not by the commission’s exercise of its lawful mandate, but by the timing of the action.

He explained that decisions taken by federal institutions are often associated with the President, whether or not he had prior knowledge of such actions.

According to him, this made it important to address any development capable of creating the impression that a federal agency was being deployed to influence the electoral process.

EFCC maintains legal authority

The EFCC had defended the freezing of the accounts, maintaining that the action was connected to an ongoing investigation into alleged financial misconduct.

The commission also stated that it had legal authority to restrict access to accounts suspected to be connected with financial crimes.

The agency noted that it could initially freeze accounts for up to 72 hours without a court order before seeking judicial approval for any further restriction.

The EFCC’s position is that its investigation into the Osun State Government is part of its statutory responsibility to investigate and prosecute suspected financial crimes and is not politically motivated.

Despite ordering the commission to return to court, Tinubu reiterated his position that anti-corruption and law enforcement institutions should operate independently.

The President said that since assuming office, he had deliberately avoided interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative agencies because of his belief that strong institutions are essential to democratic governance.

He said such agencies must be allowed to perform their statutory functions professionally and without fear, favour or political interference.

Tinubu added that he had not been fully briefed on all the facts that informed the EFCC’s decision to approach the court over the Osun accounts.

However, he said the timing of the order was sufficiently concerning to require presidential intervention.

The President’s major concern was the possibility that the account freeze, coming shortly before the governorship election, could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

Tinubu said nothing should be done to create the impression that the EFCC or any other federal institution was being used to interfere with the election.

He therefore said his directive was issued in the overriding public interest and was aimed at preserving the credibility, integrity and fairness of the democratic process.

The President subsequently instructed the EFCC to discontinue the action against the Osun State Government by returning to court to have the order vacated.