President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government, citing concerns over the timing of the action just days before the state’s governorship election.
What Happened
In a statement issued by the State House on Thursday, President Tinubu said he was not opposed to the EFCC exercising its statutory powers, but was troubled by when the agency chose to act. He said it had come to his attention that the EFCC obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, placing a freeze on Osun State Government accounts, and described himself as embarrassed, not by the commission’s mandate, but by the timing of its move.
The President noted that actions taken by federal institutions are routinely attributed to him personally, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them, since they are seen as coming from the Federal Government he leads.
Accordingly, Tinubu has instructed the EFCC to proceed to court without delay to vacate the freeze order and discontinue any related action against the Osun State Government.
Background: Why EFCC Froze the Osun Account
The EFCC had placed a “Post No Debit” restriction on the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account, domiciled with First Bank, as part of an investigation the commission says began in March 2026 into the alleged mismanagement of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds, and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements.
According to the commission, the restriction followed the discovery of unusual transfers of large sums into various corporate accounts starting August 2, 2026. The EFCC maintained that its investigators would not have moved to restrict the accounts had they not observed what the agency called the “precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds,” and insisted its action was lawful and aimed at safeguarding public funds.
The freeze came roughly ten days ahead of Osun’s August 15 governorship election, in which incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking re-election.
Political Reaction and Fallout
The account freeze triggered swift backlash from Governor Adeleke, his administration, and opposition figures, who accused the Federal Government of weaponizing state institutions to influence the outcome of the election. Osun’s Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, described the move as an attempt to disrupt government operations ahead of the poll, while Adeleke publicly challenged EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede to justify the action.
“In a statement issued Wednesday, August 5, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the freeze as ‘political terrorism’ aimed at weakening the opposition ahead of the election. The party said the resulting standoff would affect workers’ salaries, primary healthcare, education, and other essential services relied on by residents — Daily Post first reported the statement.”
Amid the tension, the Nigeria Police Force announced the deployment of 15,000 personnel across Osun State to secure the election.
What Happens Next
With Tinubu’s directive, the EFCC is now expected to return to court to formally vacate the freeze order, restoring the state government’s access to its accounts ahead of the August 15 poll. The development marks a rare public instance of the presidency overruling an anti-graft agency’s enforcement action amid an active election cycle, and is likely to remain a flashpoint in the final stretch of campaigning in Osun State.
