President Bola Tinubu has informed Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke that he has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the court order freezing the state’s account.
The latest development was disclosed on Thursday in an update from the Presidency, which confirmed that the President personally spoke with Governor Adeleke by telephone.
According to the State House, Tinubu told the governor about his directive to the anti-graft agency to immediately take steps to lift the court order obtained against the Osun State Government’s account.
In a statement he personally signed, the President said he became aware that the EFCC secured the court order on August 5, 2026.
Tinubu stressed that while he supports the independence of anti-corruption agencies, he was uncomfortable with the timing of the action.
He said, “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 explained that he had consistently allowed the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies to carry out their responsibilities without political interference.
According to him, “I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.”
Tinubu, however, said he could not ignore the implications of the action because Osun State is only days away from its governorship election.
He noted that no action should create the impression that any federal agency is being used to influence the electoral process.
The President said, “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 added that he was acting in the overriding public interest to protect public confidence and the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process.
Tinubu announced, “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.”