Tinubu orders EFCC to lift freeze on Osun accounts

President Tinubu contacted Osun Governor Adeleke to confirm executive directives instructing the EFCC to lift a “post no debit” order on the state’s operational bank accounts.

President Bola Tinubu contacted Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to confirm executive directives instructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to lift a “post no debit” order placed on Osun State’s operational bank accounts. The resolution allows state administrative operations and payroll disbursements to resume without hindrance.

The directive resolves a dispute that had threatened to disrupt government operations ahead of the August 15 governorship election. The EFCC had placed the freeze on the accounts, but Tinubu’s intervention has restored access. The resolution is a relief for the state government, but the underlying questions about the EFCC’s actions remain.

This echoes the 2019 dispute between the EFCC and state governments over the freezing of accounts. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a tension between the anti-graft agency and state governments.

The winners: the Osun State Government, which can now access its funds; and President Tinubu, who has resolved the dispute. The losers: the EFCC, whose action has been overruled; and the Nigerian public, who are left to wonder about the merits of the case.

Bottom Line: Tinubu has ordered the EFCC to unfreeze Osun’s accounts. The government can now function. The question is whether the EFCC will pursue the matter further.