ADC to Tinubu: Your EFCC order exposes anti-graft agency’s lack of independence

Nigeria's African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu's directive to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to reverse the freezing of Osun State Government accounts. The opposition party argues that this intervention exposes the anti-graft agency's lack of independence and undermines claims that it operates free from presidential influence.

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If the President possesses the authority to direct the EFCC to withdraw from court proceedings because the political consequences may affect an election, then it follows that he possesses the authority to direct the Commission in other operational matters as well.

The ADC's National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, welcomed the reversal but stated that the President's explanation raised "far more troubling questions than it answers." The party specifically questioned the validity of the court order cited by President Tinubu as the basis for the EFCC's action. They noted that the EFCC had previously defended the account freeze based on its statutory powers, without mentioning any judicial authorization.

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The net implication is that the carefully cultivated argument that these agencies operate entirely independently collapses under the weight of the President’s own statement.

"If the President possesses the authority to direct the EFCC to withdraw from court proceedings because the political consequences may affect an election, then it follows that he possesses the authority to direct the Commission in other operational matters as well," Abdullahi stated. He added that the "net implication is that the carefully cultivated argument that these agencies operate entirely independently collapses under the weight of the President’s own statement."

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It is either the President was misinformed or he had chosen to misrepresent the facts. Either possibility is deeply disturbing.

The ADC further challenged the President to clarify the origin of the alleged court order and explain why the EFCC never referenced it in its official statements or media appearances. The party concluded that the President's public directive contradicted repeated assurances of anti-corruption agencies operating without political interference, suggesting that the Presidency could intervene based on political considerations. The unusual nature of the announcement, issued as a personally signed statement by the President rather than through official channels, further fueled public suspicion, according to the ADC.

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This solo performance by the President actually exposes more than it was intended to conceal.