President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court to vacate the order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun state government, citing concerns over the timing of the action ahead of the state’s governorship election.

The President, in a statement issued on Thursday, said he was informed that the anti-graft agency secured a court order on August 5, 2026, authorising the freezing of the state’s accounts.

“I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” the President said.

The directive comes amid heightened political activities ahead of the Osun governorship election, with stakeholders calling for a peaceful, transparent and credible electoral process.

He said that while he respects the statutory independence of the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies, he considered the timing of the action inappropriate because it could create the impression that the Federal Government was attempting to influence the forthcoming governorship election in Osun state.

“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 said that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to the Presidency, even when they are carried out without his prior knowledge or approval.

The President reiterated that since assuming office, he has consistently maintained a policy of non-interference in the operational activities of anti-corruption agencies, stressing that institutions must be allowed to perform their constitutional and statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, and without fear or favour.

According to him, strong democratic institutions operating within the confines of the law remain essential to good governance and the rule of law.

The President explained that he had deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the activities of the EFCC and other investigative agencies because they were established by law with clearly defined powers and responsibilities.

He said the circumstances surrounding the freezing of Osun State’s accounts warranted presidential intervention in the overriding public interest.

“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene,” he said.

The President said that with only a few days remaining before the Osun governorship election, no action should be taken by any federal institution that could undermine public confidence in the neutrality and credibility of the electoral process.

He stressed that preserving the integrity, fairness and transparency of the democratic process remained a paramount responsibility of his administration.

The President reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening democratic institutions while ensuring that their actions do not give rise to perceptions capable of undermining public confidence in Nigeria’s democracy.