*Laments that every action of govt institutions is credited to him
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately approach the court to vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts and discontinue all actions it instituted against the state in that regard.
The President gave the directive in a statement he personally signed dated August 6, 2026, saying he was deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its statutory mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the action, coming just days before the Osun State governorship election.
Tinubu explained that every action taken by a federal institution was often credited to him as President, even when he had no prior knowledge of such actions.
“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.
“I must state that 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.
“This is so because 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,” he said.
The President reiterated that since assuming office, he had consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally and without fear, favour or political interference.
He stressed that he had deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because he firmly believed that strong democratic institutions operating within the confines of the law were indispensable to good governance and the rule of law.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval.
“Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers,” he stated.
Tinubu, however, noted that although he was yet to be fully briefed on the facts that informed the EFCC’s decision to obtain the court order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts, he had no doubt that the timing of the action was inappropriate.
“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene,” the President said.
He observed that Osun State was only a few days away from its governorship election and warned that nothing should be done to create the impression that the EFCC or any other federal government agency was being used to influence the electoral process.
“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,” he stated.
According to the President, preserving public confidence in the integrity, credibility and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process made it imperative for him to intervene.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” Tinubu stated.
