By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately approach the court to vacate the order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government, saying the action, coming days before the state’s governorship election, could create the impression of federal interference in the electoral process.
The President gave the directive in a personally signed statement issued from the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, August 6, 2026, after learning that the EFCC had secured a court order on August 5 freezing the state’s accounts.
Tinubu said although he had consistently allowed anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to operate independently without political interference, the timing of the EFCC’s action was “inauspicious” and compelled him to intervene in the interest of democracy and public confidence.
According to the President, every action taken by a federal institution is often attributed to him, whether or not he had prior knowledge of it. He, however, noted that while he had yet to be fully briefed on the circumstances that informed the EFCC’s decision to obtain the court order, he believed the timing was inappropriate.
He reiterated that since assuming office, he had deliberately refrained from interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative agencies, insisting that democratic institutions must be allowed to perform their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally and without fear or favour.
“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,” the President stated.
Tinubu stressed that with the Osun State governorship election only days away, no action should create the impression that any federal agency was being used to influence the electoral process.
“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.
The President said his intervention was informed by the overriding public interest of preserving public confidence in the integrity, credibility and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process.
Accordingly, he directed the anti-graft agency to immediately return to court to vacate the order and discontinue the action it instituted against the Osun State Government.
“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,” Tinubu declared.
Earlier, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke had condemned the freezing of the state’s accounts, describing the development as a threat to democracy and demanding an explanation from the EFCC over the action. The governor maintained that the decision could disrupt governance and fuel concerns about the integrity of the forthcoming governorship election.
The development also attracted widespread reactions from political parties and civil society groups. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) described the action as “political terrorism,” while human rights lawyer Femi Falana, former National Human Rights Commission Chairman Chidi Odinkalu and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) criticised the freezing of the state’s accounts, urging that due process and democratic principles be upheld.
Shortly after the President’s statement was released, his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that Tinubu personally informed Governor Adeleke of the decision during a telephone conversation on Thursday. According to Onanuga, the President notified the governor of his directive to the EFCC to immediately lift the court order freezing the state’s accounts.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening democratic institutions while ensuring that their actions uphold the rule of law and reinforce the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
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