Abayomi Susan
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return to court and seek the withdrawal of its order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts has sparked fresh debate over the balance between anti-corruption enforcement, electoral neutrality and the independence of law enforcement institutions.
The President, in a statement personally signed, said he was not challenging the EFCC’s authority to investigate allegations of financial misconduct or obtain legal orders where necessary. However, he expressed concern over the timing of the action, coming days before the Osun State governorship election.
Tinubu said the development could create public perception that federal institutions were being used to influence the electoral process, a situation he said must be avoided in the interest of democratic credibility.
“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 stressed that anti-corruption agencies must continue to operate independently and within the law, noting that strong institutions remain essential to democratic governance.
However, he added that government agencies must also consider the wider implications of their actions, especially during sensitive electoral periods.
“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.
The President said he was not fully briefed on all circumstances surrounding the EFCC’s decision but noted that protecting public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process informed his intervention.
He subsequently directed the EFCC to approach the court to vacate the order and discontinue related actions against the Osun State Government.
EFCC Defends Osun Account Freeze
The EFCC has defended its decision, insisting that the account restriction was part of its statutory responsibility and not politically motivated.
The commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, said the action followed standard investigative procedures and was not targeted at any particular government.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Uwujaren said the EFCC had taken similar steps in previous cases where investigators identified suspicious financial activities.
He cited the Edo State governorship transition as an example, claiming that restrictions placed on certain accounts helped preserve funds for the incoming administration.
“This is not targeted at any particular government. We are simply doing our work under the law,” Uwujaren said.
The commission had earlier disclosed that its investigation into Osun State began in March and focused on allegations surrounding the handling of ecological and intervention funds.
It added that some state officials, including the Accountant-General, had been invited and interviewed as part of the investigation.
Atiku Questions EFCC Independence Over Tinubu’s Directive
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the President’s intervention, arguing that the development raised questions about the independence of anti-corruption institutions.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the directive had exposed what he described as contradictions regarding claims of EFCC autonomy.
He argued that the President could not maintain that the EFCC operates independently while also directing the commission to discontinue an action already initiated.
Atiku said institutional independence should not depend on political circumstances, insisting that law enforcement agencies must operate without interference.
He also criticised the freezing of Osun State’s statutory allocation account, describing it as a development capable of affecting government operations and public confidence ahead of an election.
According to him, while allegations of financial misconduct should be investigated, such processes must follow due procedure and avoid creating the impression of political influence.
ADC Chieftain Challenges Presidency’s Position
Meanwhile, Ayodele Adio, a House of Assembly candidate for Eti-Osa Constituency II, has faulted the Presidency’s statement regarding the EFCC action on Osun accounts.
Adio argued that there was no court order for the EFCC to “vacate,” adding that only a competent court could set aside or vary its own orders.
He described the Presidency’s position as legally questionable and urged public institutions to operate strictly within the limits of the law.
“There was no court order to vacate. More importantly, even if such an order existed, the EFCC has no legal authority to vacate or set aside a court order. Only a competent court can vary, discharge or vacate its own orders,” he said.
The controversy has renewed discussions around the relationship between anti-corruption enforcement, political neutrality and institutional independence, particularly when investigations involving public institutions occur close to elections.
PFIPC Investigation: State House Denies Seeking Budget Code for Controversial Council
The State House has told the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) that it never requested the creation of a budget code for the organisation.
The Permanent Secretary, State House, Temitope Fashedemi, represented by the Director of Administration, Abdulkadir Idris, said the Presidency neither wrote to nor received correspondence from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) concerning the establishment or funding structure of the council.
“We did not send any correspondence or request to the Office of the Accountant-General in respect of this council. We don’t even know anything about this council. We only heard about it when it started appearing in the news,” he said.
Fashedemi also denied claims that the State House sought approval for the establishment of the council.
He further questioned the authenticity of a letter allegedly signed by an official identified as Akande Adewale, stating that neither the office nor the official existed within the Presidency.
The PFIPC has faced scrutiny after the Presidency described it as an unauthorised agency, despite revelations that it received an allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act and reportedly opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
During the investigation, the OAGF informed lawmakers that it generated a budget code for the council based on a letter purportedly originating from the State House.
FRSC Explains Allocation of Official Vehicle Plates
Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) told the committee that it allocated official Federal Government vehicle number plates to PFIPC after conducting what it described as extensive verification.
In a memorandum dated August 6, 2026, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed said the organisation was surprised to later learn that the council was not an approved government agency.
He explained that the verification process included reviewing documents presented by the council, checking a Federal Government domain website and visiting the council’s reported office location at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja.
According to him, the request for official vehicle number plates was made through letters submitted in 2025, accompanied by documents presented as the establishment mandate of the council.
Mohammed said the FRSC approved and issued seven official vehicle number plates after completing its verification process but later commenced administrative steps to retrieve them following revelations about the council’s status.
The investigation into the PFIPC continues as lawmakers seek clarity on how the organisation obtained government recognition, budget allocation and official privileges despite questions surrounding its approval status.
