Tinubu orders EFCC to vacate court order freezing Osun govt accounts ahead governorship poll
pannigeriannews
3 min read
By Isaiah Adewole
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court to vacate an order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, saying the timing of the action, coming days before the state’s governorship election, could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
In a statement issued on Thursday from the State House, Tinubu said he became aware that the anti-graft agency had secured a court order on August 5 freezing the state’s accounts, stressing that while he respected the commission’s statutory powers, he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the move.
“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,” the President said.
He noted that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to the Presidency, even where he had no prior knowledge of them.
“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.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the independence of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies, saying he had consistently avoided interfering in their operations.
“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,” he said.
The President added that he deliberately refrained from directing the EFCC or any other investigative agency because “strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.”
Although he said he had yet to receive the full details that informed the EFCC’s decision to obtain the freezing order, Tinubu maintained that the timing warranted intervention.
“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC… 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.
With the Osun governorship election only days away, the President warned that no action should create the impression that federal institutions were being deployed 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,” Tinubu stated.
He said that in the overriding public interest and to preserve confidence in the credibility and fairness of the democratic process, he had instructed the commission to withdraw the action.
“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 said.
The President’s directive followed reports that the EFCC had obtained an ex parte order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts about 10 days before the August 15 governorship election. The development generated widespread political reactions, with concerns that the action could affect governance and fuel allegations of federal interference in the election. The freezing order was reportedly linked to an ongoing investigation into allegations of financial irregularities involving the state government.
About The Author
