President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to immediately take steps to vacate the court order freezing the Osun State Government’s bank account.
The President said the timing of the EFCC’s action, coming days before the August 15 governorship election, could create the impression of federal interference in the electoral process and undermine public confidence in the election.
Tinubu said he had no prior knowledge of the EFCC’s action but maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to operate independently and within the law.
However, he said the proximity of the election compelled him to intervene in the overriding public interest.
In a statement personally signed by the President, he said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the agency’s action, stressing that actions taken by federal institutions were often attributed to the Presidency regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them.
Tinubu said: “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 consequently directed the EFCC to return to court, seek the vacation of the order and discontinue the action against the Osun State Government.
The intervention followed the EFCC’s decision on Wednesday to place a Post No Debit restriction on the state government’s statutory allocation account with First Bank.
The commission had alleged suspicious movement of about N11 billion in ecology funds, intervention funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee allocations. It said large transfers to corporate entities prompted the restriction to prevent the suspected diversion of public funds.
The EFCC maintained that its action was unrelated to the forthcoming governorship election.
Tinubu also spoke with Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke by telephone over the matter, according to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
