President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately seek the reversal of a court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, citing concerns over the timing of the action ahead of the state’s governorship election.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the President said although he supports the independence of anti-corruption agencies, the decision to freeze the state’s accounts just days before the election could create the impression that the Federal Government was attempting to influence the electoral process.
Tinubu stressed that while the EFCC acted within its legal powers by obtaining a court order, he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the agency’s action.
“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 his long-standing commitment to allowing anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to operate independently without political interference.
According to him, since assuming office, he has deliberately avoided interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative bodies because strong democratic institutions are essential for good governance and the rule of law.
“I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference,” Tinubu stated.
He added that government institutions were established by law with clearly defined powers and should ordinarily carry out their responsibilities without requiring presidential approval.
However, Tinubu said the proximity of the EFCC’s action to the Osun governorship election made the situation exceptional, despite the fact that he had yet to receive a full briefing on the circumstances that prompted the anti-graft agency to obtain the freezing order.
“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,” he said.
The President noted that with the governorship election only days away, every effort must be made to protect public confidence in the integrity and fairness of 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.
Tinubu said his intervention was guided by the overriding public interest and the need to safeguard the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy.
He announced that he had directed the EFCC to immediately return to court to vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts and discontinue the action instituted against the state in that regard.
“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,” the President declared.
