Tinubu orders EFCC to unfreeze Osun govt accounts days before election

• Says he is “deeply embarrassed” by timing of anti-graft agency’s action

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately vacate a court order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.

Tinubu described the timing of the action as inappropriate and capable of undermining public confidence in the integrity of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

In a statement he personally signed and issued on Thursday, the President said he became aware that the anti-graft agency had obtained a court order on 5 August 2026, freezing the state’s accounts.

While stressing that he was not questioning the EFCC’s statutory powers or its right to seek judicial orders in the course of its investigations, Tinubu said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the action, noting that any move by a federal institution is often perceived by the public as having presidential backing.

“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.

“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,” the President said.

Tinubu reiterated his longstanding position that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to operate independently and without political interference, explaining that he had consistently refrained from directing the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative bodies.

According to him, strong democratic institutions operating within the law are essential for good governance and the rule of law.

However, the President said the proximity of the Osun governorship election compelled him to intervene in what he described as an “inauspicious” development.

“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 stated.

Tinubu said that although he had yet to be fully briefed on the circumstances that led the EFCC to obtain the court order, the overriding need to preserve public trust in the electoral process informed his decision.

“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process,” he said.

The President subsequently ordered the EFCC to return to court and withdraw the freezing order.

“Accordingly, 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,” he declared.

The directive comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the Osun governorship election and is likely to generate fresh debate over the balance between anti-corruption enforcement and the need to safeguard electoral neutrality during election periods.