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Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the freezing of the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), warning that the move poses a serious threat to democracy and could undermine the credibility of the forthcoming governorship election.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned the timing of the action, arguing that freezing the state’s principal operational account just days before the election raises concerns about the neutrality of institutions expected to uphold the rule of law.
According to him, the decision could disrupt governance, delay the payment of workers’ salaries, affect the delivery of essential public services and create an atmosphere of intimidation ahead of the polls.
“It is impossible to ignore the implications of freezing a state’s principal operational account on the eve of a governorship election,” he said.
The former vice president maintained that while anti-corruption agencies have a duty to investigate alleged wrongdoing, such actions must follow due process and should not create the impression that state institutions are being used to influence political contests.
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He argued that public confidence in Nigeria’s democracy depends on the independence and professionalism of institutions responsible for enforcing the law.
Atiku further alleged that the account freeze followed a pattern of actions targeting opposition-controlled states under the President Bola Tinubu administration, recalling the earlier withholding of Osun State’s statutory local government allocations.
He described the latest development as an attack not only on the state government but also on the people of Osun, whose livelihoods and access to public services could be affected.
The ADC presidential candidate urged all institutions involved in the Osun governorship election to act with fairness, restraint and respect for the Constitution, insisting that only the electorate should determine the outcome of the poll.
He also called on opposition parties and Nigerians committed to democratic governance to remain vigilant against what he described as the politicisation of state institutions.
