“Which court order did you ask EFCC to vacate?”, ADC challenges Tinubu over Osun account freezing
By KEMI KASUMU
“The obvious question, therefore, is: where did the President obtain the information that a court order existed?” the party asked, adding that if such an order existed, the EFCC should have disclosed it while publicly defending its actions.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s claim that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) acted on a court order in freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, asking the Presidency to clarify where the alleged order originated.
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In a statement issued on Thursday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, welcomed the President’s directive to the EFCC to discontinue the action but argued that the explanation offered by the President had raised fresh concerns about the independence of Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies.
According to the ADC, the EFCC had consistently defended its decision to freeze the accounts by citing its statutory powers and preventive mandate, without mentioning that it had obtained a court order.
“The obvious question, therefore, is: where did the President obtain the information that a court order existed?” the party asked, adding that if such an order existed, the EFCC should have disclosed it while publicly defending its actions.
The opposition party said it was concerned that the President could publicly direct the EFCC to withdraw the case and vacate the alleged court order while maintaining that he does not interfere in the operations of anti-corruption agencies.
According to the ADC, the President’s directive suggests that the Presidency exercises significant influence over the operational decisions of federal anti-corruption agencies, contrary to claims of their institutional independence.
The party also questioned why the statement announcing the reversal was personally signed by President Tinubu instead of being issued through the Presidency or another official government channel, describing the move as unusual.
The ADC further argued that the reversal of the EFCC’s action followed widespread public criticism from Nigerians, civil society organisations and political parties, rather than a voluntary decision by the government.
It maintained that the freezing of the Osun State Government’s accounts had been widely perceived as an abuse of state power capable of influencing the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
The party urged the President to provide clarity on the existence of the alleged court order and called for greater transparency regarding the relationship between the Presidency and anti-corruption agencies.
The ADC also appealed to the President to extend the same intervention to other ongoing legal matters, including directing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to stop opposing the bail application of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
The statement was signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
