- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said he was ‘deeply embarrassed’ after the EFCC froze Osun State Government accounts days before the governorship election
- The EFCC obtained the court order on August 5, 2026, a move Tinubu said risked creating the impression of federal interference in the electoral process
- Tinubu directed the EFCC to return to court and seek the discharge of the order, citing overriding public interest
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Osogbo, Osun state – President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return to court and lift the order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun state government, saying the move came at a moment that could damage public trust ahead of the state’s governorship election.
Legit.ng reports that a State House statement on Thursday, August 6, shared by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated that Tinubu learnt that the EFCC had secured the court order on August 5, 2026, just days before Osun residents are due to vote.
Source: Facebook
The high-anticipated Osun state governorship election is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The president made clear he was not disputing the EFCC’s right to investigate financial matters or seek court orders, but said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the choice of timing, arguing it could give Nigerians the impression that federal agencies were being deployed to tilt the electoral outcome.
Tinubu rejects election interference claims
Tinubu said that since taking office, he has deliberately kept his hands off the operations of anti-corruption and law enforcement bodies, believing that independent institutions are central to good governance and the rule of law.
The Nigerian leader acknowledged that he had not yet received a full briefing on what led the EFCC to apply for the court order, but maintained that no federal body should act in a way that raises questions about government interference in elections.
Source: Facebook
He argued that the protection of Nigeria’s democratic process required decisive action, and on that basis directed the commission to seek the immediate discharge of the freezing order and discontinue the action against the Osun State Government.
The directive, Tinubu said, was issued in the overriding public interest and in order to safeguard the credibility, integrity and fairness of the election.
Read the full presidential statement on Osun below, as shared by Onanuga in an X post:
More to follow…
Source: Legit.ng