Aug 6, 2026

Tinubu Orders EFCC to Unfreeze Osun Accounts Ahead of Election

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in politics

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Abuja, Nigeria – August 6, 2026—President Bola Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately approach the court and vacate the order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government, citing the sensitive timing just days before the state’s governorship election.

In an official State House statement released by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, the President said he felt “deeply embarrassed” not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate, but by the timing of the action.

“Every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action,” Tinubu stated.

Why the Accounts Were Frozen

The EFCC obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, placing a post-no-debit restriction on Osun State Government accounts.

The anti-graft agency said it had been investigating the state government since March 2026 over the alleged fraudulent handling of approximately ₦11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations.

According to the EFCC, the freezing became necessary after investigators noticed large and “precipitate” transfers of funds into various corporate entities beginning August 2, 2026.

The Commission maintained it acted to prevent the possible diversion of public funds and stressed that the action was taken without prejudice to the impending election.

President’s Concern Over Democratic Perception

Tinubu emphasized that he has consistently allowed anti-corruption agencies to operate independently without political interference.

However, he argued that the proximity of the Osun governorship election—scheduled for mid-August 2026—made the move particularly sensitive.

“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or, indeed, any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election,” the President said.

He directed the EFCC to discontinue the action against the Osun State Government in the overriding public interest of preserving confidence in the integrity and fairness of the democratic process.

Phone Call to Governor Adeleke

In a follow-up statement, Onanuga disclosed that President Tinubu also spoke by telephone with Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on Thursday, informing him of the directive to lift the freeze.

The development has drawn mixed reactions. While some welcomed the President’s intervention as a necessary step to protect the electoral process, others questioned the consistency of intervening in an agency’s court-backed action after repeatedly affirming institutional independence.

As the Osun governorship election approaches, the episode has once again placed the relationship between federal anti-corruption agencies and opposition-controlled states under the national spotlight.