Atiku, Others React As Tinubu Directs EFCC To Vacate Court Order Freezing Osun Account

Directive has destroyed claim that anti-corruption agencies operate independently of Presidency – Ex-VP

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Ademu Idakwo, Olakunle Olasanmi, Abuja, and Joshua Dada, Osogbo

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other stakeholders yesterday reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the court order freezing the Osun State Government’s account.

While Atiku and the ADC questioned the President’s intervention, arguing that it raised fresh concerns about the independence of anti-corruption agencies, the APC, PDP, Accord Party and the Democracy Leadership Alliance (DLA) backed the directive, describing it as necessary to protect confidence in the electoral process.

The controversy followed the EFCC’s decision to freeze the Osun State Government’s Federal Statutory Allocation Account over an alleged N11 billion fraud, barely nine days before the August 15 governorship election in the state.

Governor Ademola Adeleke and opposition parties had protested the action, alleging that the timing created room for suspicion.

However, the EFCC defended its decision, saying it was legally empowered to temporarily restrict suspicious accounts for up to 72 hours while investigations continued.

The commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, said the restriction followed suspicious transactions detected on the account.

Tinubu’s Intervention

Reacting to the development, President Tinubu directed the EFCC to immediately return to court, vacate the order freezing the Osun account and discontinue any related proceedings.

The President said the timing of the action could create the impression that a federal agency was interfering in the forthcoming governorship election.

In a personally signed statement, Tinubu said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the EFCC action, stressing that his concern was not the commission’s mandate but the perception the development could create.

“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the account 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,” he said.

The President said he had deliberately allowed anti-corruption agencies to operate independently without interference, adding that strong institutions were vital to democracy and good governance.

He, however, said nothing should create the impression that federal institutions were being used to influence the electoral process.

“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility and fairness of our democratic process,” Tinubu said.

Atiku, ADC Fault Presidency

Reacting, Atiku Abubakar said the President’s directive had weakened the argument that anti-corruption agencies operated independently of the Presidency.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Tinubu’s intervention raised more questions than answers.

“President Tinubu’s statement has raised more questions than it has answered. While the EFCC’s official statement painstakingly explained why it froze the Osun State Government’s account, it made no mention whatsoever of obtaining a court order.

“Yet the President’s intervention is predicated entirely on the existence of such a court order, which he claims to have directed the EFCC to vacate,” he said.

Atiku also challenged the President to direct the release of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, if he indeed had authority over the operations of anti-graft agencies.

“If President Tinubu can direct the EFCC to vacate a court order in Osun, Nigerians deserve to know why he cannot direct the ICPC to release Mallam Nasir El-Rufai,” he said.

The ADC also demanded clarification from the Presidency over the alleged court order.

Its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the President’s explanation contradicted the EFCC’s earlier position.

“The EFCC has consistently defended its action based on its statutory powers and preventive mandate without claiming that it obtained any court order.

“It is either the President was misinformed or he deliberately misrepresented the facts. Either possibility is deeply disturbing,” the party said.

APC Demands Apology

The Osun State chapter of the APC asked Governor Adeleke and his supporters to apologise to Tinubu, former governor Gboyega Oyetola and the party for accusing them of being behind the EFCC action.

The party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mogaji Kola Olabisi, said the President’s directive was not an indication that the Osun State Government had been cleared of the allegations being investigated.

“What the President is frowning at is the timing of the EFCC action against the Osun State Government so that political meanings would not be read into it.

“The development is a lesson for the Accord Party and its governorship candidate that they need to show political maturity by processing their thoughts before making public statements,” he said.

Olabisi added that Tinubu’s action demonstrated that he was “a true father of the nation.”

PDP Commends Tinubu

The Osun State chapter of the PDP praised the President for intervening in the matter.

The state chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, said the directive showed that Tinubu was concerned about the circumstances surrounding the EFCC action.

According to him, the President’s decision proved that he was not part of alleged attempts to undermine the state government.

Lawyers Fault EFCC

Some lawyers also criticised the EFCC’s action, saying the commission should have exercised greater caution.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Abdul Balogun, described the freezing of the account as unlawful.

“In all our actions as individuals and institutions, we must allow the rule of law to prevail. No one should take the law into their own hands or act outside their legal powers.

“If I may say, the EFCC acted irresponsibly. It ought to have obtained a court order before taking such action,” he said.

Constitutional lawyer Mathew O. Ari questioned the timing of the decision.

“You cannot blame Nigerians for reading political meaning into the action of the EFCC. The obvious question is: why now? Why the urgency to freeze the state’s account?

“These are the questions Nigerians expect the EFCC to answer at a time when accusations are already being made that security agencies are working in the interest of the APC,” he said.

Professor of Law, Adewale Odu, said even where the EFCC had evidence of wrongdoing, it should have followed due process.

“The manner in which the commission handled the matter has created unnecessary suspicion.

“Many Nigerians and supporters of the Osun State Government have accused the Federal Government of using its agencies to harass the state. By freezing the account in the manner it did, the EFCC has only strengthened those suspicions,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Osun State Government has filed a N2 billion suit against the EFCC over the freezing of its account.