Key points
- President directs EFCC to vacate court order freezing Osun Government accounts.
- Tinubu says timing of the action could undermine confidence in the governorship election.
- President reaffirms commitment to the independence of anti-corruption agencies.
Main story
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government.
Tinubu gave the directive in a statement personally issued on Thursday in Abuja.
The president said he became aware that the EFCC had obtained a court order on Aug. 5 freezing the state’s accounts.
He said he was deeply embarrassed by the timing of the action, although not by the commission’s exercise of its statutory mandate backed by a court order.
Tinubu reiterated his commitment to the independence of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies, saying he had consistently allowed them to carry out their responsibilities without political interference.
He said he had deliberately refrained from interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative agencies, stressing that strong democratic institutions operating within the law were essential for good governance.
The president, however, said he had yet to receive a full briefing on the circumstances that led the EFCC to seek the court order.
He noted that with the Osun governorship election only days away, no action should create the impression that any federal agency was being used to influence the electoral process.
Tinubu subsequently directed the EFCC to immediately approach the court to vacate the order and discontinue the action against the Osun State Government.
The issues
The directive comes amid heightened political activities ahead of the Aug. 15 Osun governorship election. The freezing of the state’s accounts had generated controversy, with concerns that the move could affect government operations and public perception of the electoral process.
What’s being said
“Since assuming office, 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 said.
“I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore, I feel compelled to intervene.”
“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.”
What’s next
The EFCC is expected to comply with the presidential directive by approaching the court to vacate the freezing order, while investigations into the alleged financial misconduct may continue through lawful processes.
Bottom line
Tinubu’s intervention seeks to preserve public confidence in the credibility of the Osun governorship election while reaffirming support for the operational independence of anti-corruption agencies.
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