By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has questioned the supposed independence of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, amidst the presidential intervention in the freezing of Osun state Government accounts.
Atiku urged the President to equally direct the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to also release detained former Kaduna state Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
The Source reports that the obviously embarrassed President Tinubu had earlier on Thursday ordered the EFCC to immediately defreeze the Osun State account which it had frozen on Wednesday, August 5,2026.
The President’s intervention came amidst widespread indignation and condemnations of the action of the anti-corruption commission which had cited fears of possible diversion of public funds ,and an ongoing investigation as major reasons for its decision to freeze the state Government account just days before the state’s Governorship polls.
In a statement from the State House Media Team, president Tinubu emphasized that while he is not averse to the EFCC performing its statutory functions, he is nevertheless not comfortable with the timing of its action in Osun state,
“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”, the president stated
Citing the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the State, President Tinubu directed the Commission to reverse the freezing order in the over all public interest.
But reacting to the development, the former Vice President insisted on the President issuing the same directive to the ICPC in the case of El-Rufai, since he has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that he is controlling the operations of critical Government institutions.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shuaibu, his spokesperson, Atiku emphasized that since the President can direct the EFCC to reverse a court-ordered action, then he should equally direct ICPC to extend same gesture to the detained former Kaduna state Governor.
The ADC presidential candidate noted that the President’s action on the freezing of the Osun state account ,has lend credence to the claim that the EFCC’ , ICPC and indeed instruments of state power in the country are all under the influence and total control of President Tinubu.
“President Tinubu’s statement has raised more questions than it has answered . While the EFCC’s official statement painstakingly explained why it froze the Osun state Government’s account ,it made no mention whatsoever of obtaining a court order .
“Yet the president’s intervention is predicated entirely on the existence of such a court order which he claims to have directed the EFCC to vacate.
“If, indeed ,there was a court order ,why did the EFCC omit such a fundamental fact from its official account? If there was none ,then the President has introduced into the public discourse a legal process that exists not in the EFCC’s own narrative . Nigerians deserve a coherent explanation instead of conflicting versions from the same Government.
“President Tinubu cannot have it both ways. He cannot claim that he neither knew of, nor interferes in the operations of the EFCC, and in the very next breath, announce that he has directed the Commission to discontinue its action and return to court.
” If the EFCC promptly complied with that directive ,then Nigerians have before them undeniable proof that the Commission is not as operationally independent as the president wants the country to believe.
“One cannot preach institutional independence while exercising direct operational control over same institution.
“Institutions cannot be independent only when it is politically convenient and subject to presidential directives whenever controversy arises . That is not institutional autonomy; it is executive control disguised as independence”, the former Vice president stated .
Atiku further noted that the president having, in all practical purposes, shown that he can remote-control critical state institutions, should go the whole hog and direct the EFCC’s sister agency ,the ICPC to grant bail to El-Rufai.
“Having now demonstrated that he can issue direct operational directives to anti-corruption agencies whenever he considers it expedient, President Tinubu owes Nigerians an explanation as to why he cannot exercise the same authority in the case of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai .
“If he can direct the EFCC to discontinue its action today,then he cannot pretend to be powerless over the action of the ICPC tomorrow. Executive power cannot be invoked selectively for political convenience, while institutional independence is cited only when it suits the presidency”, the ADC presidential candidate added.
Atiku, however, expressed serious concern that the recent development in Osun has significantly further eroded whatever credibility that is left of the EFCC as Nigerians have now seen the extent to which the Commission has been serving the interest of the president rather than the citizens.
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