- Odibo Victory
The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has slammed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing the anti-graft agency as a tool in the hands of politicians.
Sowore made the remark in a post on his official X handle on Thursday.
His reaction followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive ordering the EFCC to vacate it’s freezing of the account of the the Osun State Government.
NPO Reported that the EFCC, on Wednesday, froze the Osun State Government’s account.
With less than nine days to the state’s governorship election, the EFCC froze the account domiciled with First Bank in a letter addressed to the bank’s Managing Director, confirming the development.
The development sparked public outrage, with Tinubu coming under criticism over what many considered an attempt to intimidate the Ademola Adeleke-led administration by the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Reacting in a personal statement issued on Thursday, Tinubu expressed disappointment over the EFCC’s action, faulting the timing of the account freeze.
The development prompted Sowore to describe the EFCC as a tool in the hands of those in power.
“The EFCC has become a tool in the hands of those in power, deployed whenever they want to pursue their political objectives. And now its ‘owners’ have called it to order!” he said.
However, the President distanced himself from the development, stressing that he had no prior knowledge of the agency’s action.
“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.
“I must state that 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.
“This is so because 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.
“Since assuming office, 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.
Tinubu maintained that he had consistently allowed institutions of government to carry out their responsibilities without interference.
He, however, faulted the EFCC’s decision to freeze the Osun State Government’s account, reiterating that he was unaware of the action before it was taken.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval.
“Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers.
“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.
Tinubu maintained that the EFCC, or any other federal government agency, should not be used in a manner that could create the impression of partisanship, especially with the Osun governorship election just days away.
He subsequently directed the anti-graft agency to vacate the court order and discontinue any further action against the state government.
“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.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
“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,” he said.