The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to apply the same authority he used to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to unfreeze Osun State's account, to secure the release of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, issued a statement on Thursday, August 6, 2026, responding to Tinubu's public intervention in the EFCC's freezing of the Osun State Government's account. The former Vice President argued that Tinubu's action destroyed claims that anti-corruption agencies operate independently.
Contradictions in Government's Narrative
Atiku pointed out a contradiction: while the EFCC gave an official explanation for freezing the Osun account without mentioning any court order, Tinubu framed his directive as instructing the Commission to vacate such an order. Atiku questioned, "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 nowhere in the EFCC's own narrative. Nigerians deserve a coherent explanation instead of conflicting versions from the same government."
He emphasized that the episode shattered the long-held position that Nigeria's anti-corruption agencies function without presidential interference. "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. 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," Atiku stated.
El-Rufai Case as the Test
Atiku said Tinubu's willingness to intervene in the EFCC matter now creates an obligation he cannot ignore regarding El-Rufai's detention by the ICPC. "If he can direct the EFCC to discontinue its action today, then he cannot pretend to be powerless over the actions of the ICPC tomorrow. Executive power cannot be invoked selectively for political convenience while institutional independence is cited only when it suits the Presidency," he added.
He acknowledged that reversing the account freeze may limit damage to the electoral process ahead of the Osun governorship election, but said it did not answer the more troubling question of why the action was taken at all. "Who authorised the freezing of the account of an opposition-controlled state just days before a governorship election, and why was such an extraordinary action taken at such a politically sensitive moment? Democracy is not measured by the ability to reverse an injustice after public outrage; it is measured by the discipline to prevent such injustice from occurring in the first place," Atiku said.
Atiku's Earlier Warning on Osun Account Freeze
Recall that Atiku had earlier warned that freezing Osun State's allocation account days before the governorship election poses a threat to democratic credibility. The ADC presidential candidate said the timing raises serious questions about whether federal institutions are acting independently of political interests. He called on the EFCC to reverse the freeze and urged all election-related institutions to act with impartiality and respect for the Constitution.
ADC's Fresh Warning on El-Rufai
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that ADC national publicity secretary Bolaji Abdullahi issued a direct warning to President Tinubu over the detention of former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai. Abdullahi alleged that El-Rufai's continued custody is politically motivated and designed to sideline him from the 2027 elections. El-Rufai is facing separate trials by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the ICPC, with his bail application dismissed in early July, while his wives have appealed to Tinubu for help.
