Governor insists legal victory upholds rule of law, dismisses claims of presidential ambition bargaining.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said that the recent Federal High Court judgment in Ibadan vindicates his administration’s decision to challenge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what he described as a “fishing expedition” into the state’s financial records.
Governor Makinde made this known in the 142nd edition of his newsletter, where he traced the dispute to his April 2025 interview on Channels Television in which he stated that he had the capacity to become Nigeria’s president without formally declaring his intention to contest.
According to the governor, the comment attracted political reactions, including a public warning from an APC chieftain shortly after the ruling party endorsed President Bola Tinubu as its sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
He disclosed that on June 2, 2025, the EFCC wrote to the Oyo State Accountant-General requesting copies of all government contracts and payment records to contractors from 2021 to the date of the letter without identifying any contractor, company or specific transaction under investigation.
Governor Makinde said the state government requested clarification on the subject of the investigation to enable it provide relevant documents but received no response, prompting it to seek judicial intervention.
Delivering judgment on July 22, 2026, Justice Nkeonye Maha affirmed the EFCC’s constitutional powers to investigate financial crimes but ruled that such powers must be exercised within the confines of the law. The court held that the Commission’s request was speculative and unconnected to any specific allegation, stressing that demands for information must be reasonable and tied to identified wrongdoing.
He said the judgment was not a victory over the anti-graft agency but a triumph for the rule of law and constitutional governance.
“This is not a victory against the EFCC. It is a victory for the rule of law. We have never claimed to be above scrutiny, only that such scrutiny must be lawful, fair and constitutional,” he stated.
The governor declined to speculate on the motive behind the EFCC’s request but said Nigerians could draw their own conclusions from the sequence of events.
He also dismissed speculation that his presidential ambition was merely a strategy to negotiate a future political compromise, insisting that he remains committed to pursuing his aspirations.
“I did not step forward in order to step down. I am going forward,” Makinde declared, adding that Oyo State’s governance record demonstrates that practical and people-centred leadership is possible at the national level.