By Ihechi Enyinnaya
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately take steps to vacate 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 State House statement issued on Thursday, the President said he was embarrassed by the timing of the EFCC’s move, stressing that although the anti-graft agency acted within its statutory powers by obtaining the court order, the development could create the impression of federal interference in the electoral process.
Tinubu said that while he had no prior knowledge of the EFCC’s decision to secure the order on August 5, every action taken by federal institutions is often attributed to the Presidency.
The President reiterated his long-standing commitment to allowing anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to operate independently, professionally, and without political interference.
He noted that since assuming office, he had deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative agencies because of his belief in strengthening democratic institutions and upholding the rule of law.
However, Tinubu said the proximity of the Osun governorship election made the timing of the EFCC’s action “inauspicious,” adding that no action should give the impression that any federal agency was being used to influence the outcome of the poll.
According to him, preserving public confidence in the integrity, credibility and fairness of the democratic process is of overriding national interest.
Consequently, the President directed the EFCC to immediately approach the court to vacate the freezing order and discontinue the legal action instituted against the Osun State Government.
Tinubu maintained that his intervention was informed solely by the need to protect the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process and ensure that federal institutions are not perceived as partisan actors in the conduct of elections.