Breaking: "Deeply Embarrassed" Tinubu Gives EFCC Order Over Freezing of Osun Govt Bank Accounts
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said he was "deeply embarrassed" after the EFCC froze Osun state government's bank accounts days before the governorship election
- The EFCC obtained the court order on August 5, 2026, a move President Tinubu said risked creating the impression of federal interference in the electoral process
- Tinubu directed the EFCC to return to court and seek the discharge of the order, citing overriding public interest
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Osogbo, Osun state - President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return to court and lift the order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun state government, saying the move came at a moment that could damage public trust ahead of the state's governorship election.
Legit.ng reports that a State House statement issued on Thursday, August 6, and shared by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu had been informed that the EFCC secured the court order on August 5, 2026.
Source: Facebook
The development came just days before Osun residents are due to vote in the governorship election. The highly anticipated Osun state governorship election is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The president made clear he was not disputing the EFCC's right to investigate financial matters or seek court orders, but said he was "deeply embarrassed" by the choice of timing, arguing it could give Nigerians the impression that federal agencies were being deployed to tilt the electoral outcome.
Tinubu rejects election interference claims
Tinubu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that since taking office, he has deliberately kept his hands off the operations of anti-corruption and law enforcement bodies, believing that independent institutions are central to good governance and the rule of law.
The Nigerian leader acknowledged that he had not yet received a full briefing on what led the EFCC to apply for the court order, but maintained that no federal body should act in a way that raises questions about government interference in elections.
Source: Facebook
He argued that the protection of Nigeria's democratic process required decisive action, and on that basis directed the commission to seek the immediate discharge of the freezing order and discontinue the action against the Osun state government.
The directive, Tinubu said, was issued in the overriding public interest and in order to safeguard the credibility, integrity and fairness of the election.
Tinubu announced:
"Accordingly, 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.
"Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
Read the full presidential statement on Osun below, as shared by Onanuga in an X post:
Read more on Osun election 2026
- Oyebanji, Adeleke to know fate as INEC announces dates for Ekiti, Osun governorship elections
- Osun 2026: 5 reasons Adeleke may win second term bid
- Osun 2026: 3 reasons Ademola Adeleke may lose second term bid
- Governor Adeleke opens up on possible defection from PDP to APC after meeting Tinubu
Osun election 2026: Uzodimma taunts Davido
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo, responded to comments made by Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, over the forthcoming Osun state governorship election.
Uzodimma told the singer to prepare to sign his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke, as a dancer after the poll.
Adeleke is a chieftain of the Accord, a party he joined in 2025.
Source: Legit.ng
