Adeleke sues EFCC for N2bn over frozen Osun account, Tinubu intervenes

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has filed a N2 billion lawsuit against the EFCC over the freezing of the state government's bank account, just days before the governorship election. The governor had earlier called out the anti-graft agency's chairman to explain the freezing, promising to challenge it in court.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday directed the EFCC to vacate the court order freezing the account, saying he felt "deeply embarrassed" not by the EFCC exercising its mandate, but by the timing. He said the timing was "inauspicious" and could make people feel the federal government was interfering with the election. Peter Obi called the timing suspicious, saying the anti-graft agency is becoming "a tool for politicians," while Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde condemned the "selective" use of federal institutions to witch-hunt opposition states.

The EFCC, however, insists it has been investigating Osun state since March over alleged fraud involving N11 billion in Ecology Funds and FAAC accounts. This is a classic Nigerian political chess game, and the real question is: can any anti-corruption agency in this country act without being seen as an arm of the presidency?