Tinubu directs EFCC to vacate court order freezing Osun govt account
*This politicking with people’s lives has failed both Tinubu and APC – Electorate
By KEMI KASUMU
“You cannot be destroying me and still pretend to be my saviour. As how now?”, one of the complaining Nigerians, unnamed, said, adding that, “Go and write down, today’s date is Thursday August 6, 2026, it is game over for Tinubu and is APC game player in 2027. How can you claim to be democratic in a democracy but you don’t want co-contenders that is opposition in elections?”
President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately take steps to vacate the court order freezing the Osun State Government’s bank account, expressing concern that the timing of the action could undermine public confidence in the forthcoming governorship election.
ALSO READ: EFCC reportedly freezes Osun govt account ahead of governorship election
The directive was contained in a statement issued by the Presidency on Thursday, in which the President stressed that although he supports the independence of anti-corruption agencies, the enforcement of the court order so close to the August 15 governorship election in Osun State was inappropriate.
According to the President, the EFCC had obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the Osun State Government. However, he maintained that the timing of the restriction was capable of creating the impression that federal institutions were being deployed to influence the electoral process.
Tinubu reiterated that since assuming office, he has consistently refrained from interfering in the operations of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies, insisting that such institutions must be allowed to carry out their constitutional responsibilities independently, professionally, and without political influence.
He noted, however, that because actions taken by federal agencies are often attributed to the Presidency, he considered it necessary to intervene in the overriding public interest to safeguard confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
“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, adding that while he had not yet received a comprehensive briefing on the investigation, he was convinced that the enforcement of the order days before the election was inauspicious.
The President stated that nothing should be done to create the impression that the EFCC or any other federal agency was being used to interfere in the outcome of the Osun governorship election.
Consequently, Tinubu directed the anti-graft agency to return to court without delay to vacate the freezing order and discontinue the action instituted against the Osun State Government in respect of the affected account.
The development follows reports that one of the Osun State Government’s accounts, reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, had been placed on a “Post No Debit” restriction after the EFCC secured a court order as part of its investigation into the alleged diversion of about ₦11 billion in public funds.
The EFCC had maintained that its action was lawful and carried out pursuant to its statutory mandate to investigate financial crimes, arguing that it had the legal authority to seek temporary restrictions on accounts suspected to be linked to ongoing investigations.
The freezing of the account had drawn criticism from the Osun State Government, which described the action as an attempt to disrupt governance and questioned the legal basis for the restriction.
President Tinubu’s intervention is expected to ease the growing political tension in Osun State, where preparations for the August 15 governorship election have intensified amid heightened scrutiny of the actions of federal institutions.
However, complaints across the country point to the fact that the idea of “cut ‘n’ fan” politics that the Tinubu and his game players in the All Progressives Congress (APC) have decided to stiffle the opposition and still pretend like saving them is already indicator of game over for them in the 2027 general elections.
“You cannot be destroying me and still pretend to be my saviour. As how now?”, one of the complaining Nigerians, unnamed, said, adding that, “Go and write down, today’s date is Thursday August 6, 2026, it is game over for Tinubu and is APC game player in 2027. How can you claim to be democratic in a democracy but you don’t want co-contenders that is opposition in elections?”
