Atiku To EFCC On Frozen Osun Govt Account: You Are “Reckless”

Presidential hopeful representing the African Democartic Congress, ADC in the 2027 election has condemned the freezing of the Osun state government account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, describing the action as ‘reckless’ capable of hampering the state government from performing its responsibility to the people of the state.

Abubakar, a former vice president noted that EFCC is also capable of disrupting governance, delay salary payment, saying the commission’s action has no place in modern democracy.

The ADC presidential candidate spoke on Thursday  in a statement issued by spokesperson Phrank Shaibu , amidt negative reactions that have trailed the agency’s decision to order a Post No Debit, PND on the state government account.

Not a few Nigerians, human rights body, including key opposition leaders in the country have described the action to be illegal and unconstitutional, particularly because it has no court order backing it up.

Reacting Abubakar said the EFCC action was meant to strangulate the state government financially in lieu of the upcoming governorship election, slated for August 15, describing it as a political action capable of  diminishing “public trust and weakens the democratic order’ in the country.

According to him, if the state government had been discovered by the EFCC to have committed any financial impropriety, the issue should have been handled within the ambit of the law rather than resorting to illegality, saying the commission is acting as if it has become a political tool in the hand of the government against opponents.

He said the EFCC action is an attack on the people of the state who has  be denied their right as a result if the frozen account by the EFCC.

“If there are legitimate concerns requiring investigation, the law provides due process. Anti-corruption agencies must not conduct themselves in a manner that creates the perception that they are being deployed to influence political outcomes or weaken elected governments at critical electoral moments,” he said.

He stressed that the EFCC should always act in public interest “independently, professionally and without political interference.”

“The selective and politically convenient deployment of state institutions diminishes public trust and weakens the democratic order. Institutions established to enforce the law must never become instruments for creating fear or conferring political advantage.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the pattern under the Tinubu administration, where opposition-controlled states appear to be the consistent targets of coercive federal actions. Coming after the prolonged denial of Osun State’s statutory local government allocations, this latest action reinforces the disturbing impression that public institutions are being weaponised to punish political opponents rather than serve the Nigerian people.

“Freezing the state’s allocation account is not merely an attack on the Osun State Government; it is a direct assault on the people of Osun State, whose salaries, essential public services and daily governance stand to suffer. The anti-corruption mandate of the EFCC must never be distorted into a political weapon against opposition governments.”