President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately vacate the court order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.
In a State House statement released on Thursday, August 6, 2026, the President said he felt deeply embarrassed by the timing of the EFCC’s action, which came just days before the Osun State governorship election.
President Tinubu noted that while he was not embarrassed by the EFCC exercising its mandate backed by a court order, the timing of the intervention was inauspicious. He explained that actions taken by federal institutions are often credited to him as President, even when he has no prior knowledge of them.
He reaffirmed his long-standing position of allowing anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to operate independently, professionally, and without political interference. However, he stated that the proximity of the Osun election made it necessary for him to intervene in the overriding public interest.
According to the President, nothing should be done that could create the impression that the EFCC or any other federal agency is being used to interfere with the electoral process.
President Tinubu therefore directed the EFCC to proceed to court without delay to vacate the order and discontinue the action instituted against the Osun State Government.
The directive comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State following the earlier freezing of the state’s account by the EFCC over alleged fraudulent handling of funds.
