In what appeared like a surprise, but decisive interventionist move ahead of the Osun State governorship election, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday, August 6, 2026, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately withdraw the court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government.
President Tinubu who expressed embarrassment at the EFCC’s action, noted that the timing of the action risks creating the impression of federal interference in the electoral process.
In a statement he personally signed, Tinubu said that he was deeply embarrassed by the development—not because the EFCC was exercising its statutory powers, but because of the political implications of obtaining the order on the eve of a crucial election.
The President emphasised that although he had consistently resisted interfering in the operations of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies since assuming office, the circumstances surrounding the latest EFCC action demanded presidential intervention in the overriding public interest.
In the words of Tinubu; “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 further said that his administration had deliberately allowed institutions of state to operate independently because strong democratic institutions remain essential to the rule of law and good governance.
Tinubu however, noted that every action taken by a federal institution is ultimately attributed to the Presidency, whether or not he had prior knowledge of it.
He said; “Every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action”.
Tinubu said that although he was yet to receive full briefing on the facts that prompted the EFCC to obtain the court order, Tinubu insisted that the timing alone was sufficient to warrant immediate intervention.
According to the President; “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 also said that preserving public confidence in the democratic process must take precedence, thus directed the commission to immediately approach the court to vacate the freezing order and terminate the action against the state government.
“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 stated.
President Tinubu’s intervention marked one of the most significant public directives issued to the EFCC since the assumption of office by the present administration and is expected to trigger fresh debate over the delicate balance between the operational independence of anti-corruption agencies and the imperative of protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
The President said that while he remain committed to the independence of anti-corruption agencies, his decision also underscored the premium his administration places on ensuring that no official action is perceived as capable of influencing the outcome of a democratic process.
Find below the statement by President Tinubu
PRESIDENT TINUBU DIRECTS EFCC TO VACATE THE COURT ORDER FREEZING OSUN GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT
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. This is so because every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action.
Since assuming office, 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. I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good 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. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers. While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene.
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.
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.
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.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Federal Republic of Nigeria
