By Emmanuel Babafemi
August 6, 2026
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed deep embarrassment over the timing of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s, EFCC, court ordered freezing of the Osun State Government’s bank accounts, directing the anti graft agency to immediately return to court and vacate the order.
In a personally signed statement issued from the State House on Thursday, the President said he was not embarrassed by the EFCC’s exercise of its statutory powers, but by the timing of the action, coming just days before the Osun State governorship election.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The President explained that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to him, whether or not he had prior knowledge of them.
“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,” he said.
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Tinubu reaffirmed that since assuming office, he had consistently allowed anti corruption and law enforcement agencies to carry out their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, and without political interference.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
However, he said the timing of the EFCC’s action was inauspicious, noting that Osun State is only a few days away from its governorship election.
“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.”
Although he said he was yet to be fully briefed on the facts that informed the EFCC’s application for the court order, Tinubu maintained that the overriding public interest required him to intervene to protect public confidence in the integrity, credibility and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process.
“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 consequently directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to court to vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts and discontinue the action it instituted in the matter.
“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.”
