President Bola Tinubu’s decision directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to reverse the restriction placed on an Osun State Government account has sparked fresh political and legal controversy ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The EFCC had on Wednesday directed that withdrawals should not be made from one of the state’s statutory allocation accounts as part of an investigation into the alleged diversion of about N11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee allocations.
In a personally signed statement on Thursday, Tinubu ordered the anti-graft agency to immediately approach the court to vacate the restriction and discontinue the action. The President said he had not yet received a full briefing on the case but considered the timing of the restriction inappropriate because Osun was only days away from a governorship election.
He stated that no federal institution should take steps capable of creating the impression that the Federal Government was attempting to influence the outcome of the poll.
Earlier, EFCC Director of Public Affairs Wilson Uwujaren defended the action, saying the commission acted under Section 34 of the EFCC Act and Section 7(6) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which allow a temporary restriction on suspicious accounts for up to 72 hours before a court order is obtained where necessary.
Uwujaren maintained that the commission did not freeze all Osun accounts but only placed a temporary restriction on one statutory account after detecting suspicious transactions. He said investigations began in March 2026 and that intelligence received on August 2 prompted urgent intervention to preserve public funds.
Osun sues EFCC, seeks ₦2bn damages
The Osun State Government has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to nullify the restriction and demanding ₦2 billion in exemplary damages.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1762/2026, lists Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Attorney-General of Osun State and the Accountant-General of the state as plaintiffs, while the EFCC, its Executive Chairman and First Bank of Nigeria Limited are defendants.
The state is asking the court to declare the restriction unlawful, unconstitutional and void, to restrain further interference with the account without judicial authorisation, and to award damages for what it described as unlawful interference with public funds.
The plaintiffs argue that neither the EFCC nor the bank can lawfully restrict access to a state’s statutory allocation account without a valid and subsisting court order.
Osun rejects EFCC’s allegations
The Osun Government also dismissed the commission’s claim that the restriction was linked to the alleged diversion of N11 billion, describing the allegation as an afterthought intended to justify an illegal action.
Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment Kolapo Alimi alleged that the real motive was to prevent the payment of palliatives promised to workers. He accused the EFCC of conducting a witch-hunt since March without producing evidence against government officials.
Governor Adeleke had earlier challenged EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede to explain why the account was restricted without a court order, describing the move as an assault on democracy.
Opposition questions EFCC independence
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) welcomed Tinubu’s intervention but said the President’s explanation raised serious questions about the independence of anti-corruption agencies.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party argued that the EFCC never claimed publicly that it had obtained a court order before acting. The ADC said that if the President could direct the commission to discontinue proceedings, then the claim that the EFCC operates independently of the Presidency had been weakened.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also criticised the development, saying Tinubu’s directive had exposed presidential influence over anti-corruption agencies. He warned that freezing a state’s principal operational account shortly before an election could disrupt governance, delay salary payments and undermine confidence in the electoral process.
EFCC chairman faces social media backlash
The controversy triggered widespread criticism of EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede on X and Facebook, with many users demanding his resignation or removal.
Several commentators accused the commission of selectively targeting opposition-controlled states, while others argued that the President’s intervention had embarrassed the anti-graft agency and damaged public confidence in its neutrality.
Lawyers and civil society react
Constitutional lawyer Tokunbo Afikuyomi supported Tinubu’s intervention but stressed that the EFCC must return to court to seek the discharge of any restriction order rather than relying on executive directives alone.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe (SAN), warned that broad restrictions on a state’s finances without due legal process could cripple governance and amount to an abuse of power.
Civil society groups also called for clearer harmonisation between constitutional provisions and the laws establishing anti-corruption agencies. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani of CISLAC said both the EFCC and the Osun Government were entitled to pursue their legal positions, while Debo Adeniran of CACOL argued that enforcement actions capable of disrupting governance should ideally have been delayed until after the election.
APC asks Adeleke to apologise
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) called on Governor Adeleke to apologise to President Tinubu and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola over what it described as false accusations that they influenced the EFCC’s action.
In a statement signed by spokesman Kola Olabisi, the party said Tinubu did not absolve the Osun Government of the allegations under investigation but merely expressed concern about the timing of the restriction.
The APC added that the President’s intervention demonstrated statesmanship and urged Adeleke to withdraw what it called politically motivated accusations against APC leaders.
With the governorship election approaching, the dispute has intensified political tensions in Osun State, with the EFCC insisting it acted within its statutory powers, the Osun Government pursuing the matter in court, and opposition parties questioning the independence of federal anti-corruption institutions.
