President says timing of anti-graft agency’s action is inappropriate, directs immediate withdrawal of court order freezing state account.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately vacate the court order freezing an account belonging to the Osun State Government, describing the timing of the action as inappropriate ahead of the state’s governorship election.
In a statement personally issued on Thursday, the President said he was “deeply embarrassed” not by the EFCC’s exercise of its statutory mandate but by the timing of the action, which came just days before the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.
According to President Tinubu, he has instructed the anti-graft agency to return to court and withdraw the order freezing the account.
“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,” the President said.
President Tinubu explained that the directive became necessary because actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to him, whether or not he had prior knowledge of them.
“Every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action,” he stated.
The President reiterated that since assuming office in May 2023, he has consistently maintained a policy of non-interference in the operations of anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies.
“I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference.
“I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law,” he said.
While noting that he was yet to receive full details of the matter, President Tinubu maintained that the timing of the EFCC’s action was ill-advised.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the Federal Government is being used to interfere with the election,” he added.