President Bola Tinubu has personally informed Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke that he has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to withdraw the restriction placed on the state government’s bank accounts.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed on Thursday that Tinubu conveyed the decision during a telephone conversation with Adeleke after ordering the anti-graft agency to vacate the court order freezing the accounts.
“President Tinubu, in a phone conversation with Governor Ademola Adeleke on Thursday, informed him about his directive to the EFCC to lift the court order on the Osun State Government account,” Onanuga wrote on his official X account.
The development followed the president’s earlier directive instructing the EFCC to return to court and withdraw the order, which was obtained as part of an investigation into the alleged movement and handling of public funds by the Osun State Government.
Tinubu said his decision was informed by the need to safeguard public confidence in the credibility of the forthcoming Osun governorship election scheduled for August 15.
While acknowledging that the EFCC acted within its statutory powers in seeking the order, the President expressed concern that the timing of the action, barely days before the election, could create the impression that federal institutions were being used to influence the electoral process.
In a statement personally signed by him, Tinubu said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the agency’s action rather than its exercise of lawful authority.
“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government. 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.
Tinubu reiterated that his administration has consistently respected the operational independence of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies, insisting that they must carry out their constitutional responsibilities professionally and without political interference.
“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 added.
The EFCC had announced that it restricted transactions on the Osun State Government’s bank accounts over allegations of fraudulent handling of public funds.
The commission said investigations, which began in March, revealed significant transfers from the state’s accounts into several corporate entities from August 2 while the probe was ongoing.
According to the commission, officials of the Osun State Government, including the Accountant-General, had been questioned as part of the investigation.
EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, said the restriction on the accounts would initially last for 72 hours, after which the commission would seek a court order if it considered further action necessary.
However, the agency’s explanation has been disputed by the Osun State Government.
Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, dismissed the EFCC’s claims, accusing the commission of attempting to justify what he described as an illegal action with unsubstantiated allegations.
Tinubu’s intervention effectively halts the restriction on the state’s accounts, with the president emphasising that preserving the integrity of the electoral process remains paramount as Osun prepares to elect its next governor.
