President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, citing the need to safeguard public confidence in the democratic process ahead of the state’s governorship election.

In a statement issued by the State House on Thursday, the President said he was not opposed to the EFCC carrying out its statutory responsibilities but expressed concern over the timing of the action, which came just days before the election.

“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,” Tinubu 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 EFCC had secured the court order as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the Osun State Government. The commission has maintained that it acted within the law, noting that it has the authority to temporarily freeze accounts linked to suspected financial crimes before obtaining judicial approval for extended restrictions.

Tinubu, however, stressed that actions taken by federal institutions are often perceived as being carried out with presidential approval, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them.

“Every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action,” he said.

The President reiterated his longstanding position that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must operate independently, professionally, and without political interference.

He explained that he had deliberately refrained from interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative agencies because of his commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and upholding the rule of law.

Despite this, Tinubu said the proximity of the Osun governorship election made the EFCC’s action ill-timed and warranted his intervention.

“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC… I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious,” he stated.

The President warned that no action should create the impression that any federal agency was being used to influence the outcome of the election.

“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 said.

Tinubu said his decision was taken in the overriding public interest to preserve the integrity, credibility and fairness of the electoral process.

He subsequently directed the anti-graft agency to discontinue the legal action against the Osun State Government and immediately seek the vacation of the court order freezing the state’s accounts.

The development comes amid a dispute between the Osun State Government and the EFCC over allegations of financial misconduct. The state government has denied claims of misappropriating ₦11 billion, accusing the commission of attempting to justify its decision to freeze the accounts.

The EFCC has consistently maintained that its investigation is not politically motivated and that it remains committed to investigating and prosecuting suspected financial crimes in accordance with the law.