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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately approach the court to vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts.
The President gave the directive on Thursday, August 6, 2026, following concerns over the timing of the EFCC’s action, which came only days before the Osun State governorship election.
In a statement issued from the State House, Tinubu said he was deeply concerned by the timing of the commission’s decision to obtain the court order on August 5, although he acknowledged that the EFCC was exercising its statutory mandate through a judicial process.
The President said his concern was not with the EFCC’s exercise of its powers but with the potential perception that the action could interfere with the electoral process.
“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,” Tinubu said.
He explained that actions taken by federal institutions were often attributed to the President, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of such decisions.
Tinubu reiterated his commitment to the independence of anti-corruption and law-enforcement agencies, stressing that such institutions must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities professionally and without political interference.
Since assuming office, he said, he had deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative or prosecutorial agencies because strong institutions operating within the law were essential to democratic governance and the rule of law.
“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,” he said.
However, Tinubu said he had not been fully briefed on the facts that informed the EFCC’s decision to approach the court for the freezing order.
He nevertheless described the timing of the action as “inauspicious,” given that Osun State was only days away from its governorship election.
The President warned that nothing should be done to create the impression that the EFCC or any other federal agency was being deployed to influence or interfere with the election.
“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,” he said.
Tinubu said his intervention was based on the overriding public interest in preserving confidence in the country’s democratic institutions and protecting the integrity, credibility and fairness of the electoral process.
Consequently, he directed the EFCC to immediately return to court, seek the vacation of the freezing order and discontinue any action it had instituted against the Osun State Government in connection with the matter.
The President’s directive comes amid heightened political tensions ahead of the Osun governorship election and follows criticism from opposition figures over the EFCC’s decision to freeze the state government’s account.
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