Fake independence: So, Tinubu can tell EFCC what to do!

President Bola Tinubu's recent directive to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to unfreeze the Osun State Government's account has ignited debate over the independence of state institutions in Nigeria.

The EFCC had placed a restriction on the account on August 5, citing suspicious activities and the need to preserve funds, just over a week before the state's governorship election. This timing led to accusations that the agency acted on partisan instructions to benefit the federal ruling party's candidate, who was the governor's main opponent.

Governor Ademola Adeleke promptly sued the EFCC, labeling their action "unlawful." However, President Tinubu intervened politically, ordering the EFCC to lift the freeze and discontinue any action against the government. In a statement, Tinubu expressed embarrassment not by the EFCC's action, but by its timing, stating, "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."

Critics, including the article's author, Olu Fasan, argue that Tinubu's intervention, which they interpret as the president asserting his ability to interfere in any state agency, undermines institutional independence. They contend that such actions align with an autocrat's playbook, eroding the rule of law and public trust in critical state bodies designed to ensure justice and fight corruption.

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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.