Aug 6, 2026

Atiku Accuses Tinubu of Weaponizing EFCC Against Opposition in Osun Freeze

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in world

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ABUJA — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a scathing attack on the Tinubu administration, accusing it of waging a war against the opposition rather than corruption after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) froze the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account just days before the state’s governorship election.

In a strongly worded statement issued on August 6, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate described the move as a “dangerous assault on democracy” that raises serious questions about the neutrality of federal institutions.

“It is impossible to ignore the implications of freezing a state’s principal operational account on the eve of a governorship election,” Atiku said.

He warned that the action could disrupt governance, delay salary payments, impede essential public services, and create an atmosphere of intimidation incompatible with democratic norms.

The former Vice President insisted that legitimate investigations must follow due process and that anti-corruption agencies must not be perceived as tools for influencing political outcomes or weakening elected governments at critical moments.

He pointed to a pattern under the Tinubu administration in which opposition-controlled states appear to be consistent targets of coercive federal actions, citing the earlier prolonged denial of Osun’s statutory local government allocations.

EFCC Defends Action Over Alleged N11 Billion Irregularities

The EFCC, for its part, explained that it froze the accounts as a preventive measure. In a statement, the Commission said it had been investigating the Osun State Government since March 2026 over alleged fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds, and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations totalling about N11 billion.

Officials, including the state’s Accountant General, had already been questioned.

According to the EFCC, the freeze was triggered not merely by the ongoing probe but by what it described as “precipitate and unwarranted” large transfers of funds from the government’s accounts into various corporate entities beginning August 2, 2026.

The agency maintained it could not stand idle while public funds risked being diverted, even with the election approaching on August 15.

Growing Political Fallout

Atiku called on the EFCC to immediately reverse the freeze, arguing that it constitutes a direct assault on the people of Osun whose salaries and essential services hang in the balance.

He urged all institutions involved in the election to act with restraint and impartiality, declaring that only the people of Osun should determine the outcome of their poll.

“President Tinubu is leaving no one in doubt that he is determined to win elections at all costs,” Atiku stated, calling on opposition parties and Nigerians committed to constitutional democracy to close ranks against what he termed a “dangerous drift.”

The controversy comes amid broader opposition claims that federal anti-graft agencies are being selectively deployed. In a related development, reports indicated that President Tinubu later directed the EFCC to take steps to vacate the freeze, expressing embarrassment over the timing and emphasising the need to avoid any perception of federal interference in the electoral process.

As Osun prepares to go to the polls, the episode has sharpened debates about the independence of Nigeria’s institutions, the delicate balance between fighting corruption and safeguarding democratic fairness, and the high stakes of the coming contest.

Whether the freeze is ultimately seen as a legitimate safeguard of public funds or a political manoeuvre will likely influence public trust in both the electoral process and the anti-corruption crusade itself.