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BREAKING: “Your timing is wrong”, Tinubu orders EFCC to halt Osun account freeze
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President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.
The President said the directive was necessary to protect public confidence in the democratic process, noting that the state was only days away from its governorship election.
Tinubu, in a statement issued by the State House on Thursday, said he was not opposed to the EFCC’s exercise of its statutory powers but expressed concern over the timing of the action.
“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.
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,” the President said.
The EFCC had obtained the order as part of its investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the Osun State Government.
The commission had earlier defended the move, insisting that its actions were within the law and that it had the authority to place restrictions on accounts suspected to be linked to financial crimes.
The anti-graft agency also stated that it could freeze accounts for 72 hours without a court order before seeking judicial approval for further restrictions.
Tinubu, however, said actions taken by federal institutions were often attributed to him as President, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them.
“This is so because every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action,” he stated.
The President said since assuming office, he had maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies should operate independently without interference.
“Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference,” Tinubu said.
He added that he had deliberately avoided directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or other investigative agencies because of his belief in strong democratic institutions.
“I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law,” he said.
Tinubu noted that although he was yet to be fully briefed on the facts that informed the EFCC’s decision to seek the court order, the timing of the action required his intervention.
“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene,” the President said.
He said the proximity of the election made it necessary to avoid actions that could undermine confidence in the electoral process.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election,” Tinubu added.
The President said his directive was issued in the overriding public interest and to preserve the integrity of the democratic process.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process,” he said.
Tinubu subsequently ordered the commission to discontinue the action against the state government.
Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” the statement read.
The development comes amid a dispute between the Osun State Government and the EFCC over the freezing of the state’s accounts.
The state government had dismissed the commission’s claims of financial misconduct, denying allegations of misappropriation of N11bn and accusing the EFCC of attempting to justify its action.
The EFCC had insisted that its investigation was not politically motivated and that its mandate was to investigate and prosecute suspected cases of financial crimes.
The directive by the President came ahead of the Osun governorship election, which has heightened scrutiny of actions by government institutions and their possible impact on the electoral process.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has hailed Team Nigeria on their sterling performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, saying the national contingent made their country proud at the sports tournament.
Speaker Abbas, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, commended the Nigerian athletes for their patriotism and commitment to their country, noting that they were strongly determined to keep Nigeria on the map of sports excellence.
While noting that trophies and medals only symbolise performance ratings, the Speaker noted that it is discipline, resilience, and determination that make victory a reality. These, he stated, have earned Nigeria 24 medals—10 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze—at the latest edition of the Commonwealth Games.
Describing Team Nigeria as the country’s “global sports ambassadors,” Speaker Abbas thanked the Nigeria Olympic Committee and the National Sports Commission for creating the logistics and support needed for the athletes to win medals.
The Speaker urged Nigerians, especially the youth, to draw inspiration from Team Nigeria, especially regarding discipline and excellence in any field they find themselves in. He urged all to remain patriotic citizens and good ambassadors of Nigeria across the world.
By Gloria Ikibah
Sharp divisions emerged within Nigeria’s aviation industry on Thursday as regulators, service providers, airline operators and aviation training8 institutions advanced conflicting proposals on how the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) should be shared during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation.
The hearing, which focused on proposed amendments to the Civil Aviation Act, 2022 and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Act, brought together major stakeholders seeking changes to the current revenue allocation formula.
Noticeably absent was the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, despite the significance of the proposed amendments to agencies under his supervision.
Although stakeholders agreed that the aviation sector requires stronger and more sustainable funding, there was little consensus on how the existing revenue should be distributed.
However, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) opposed any reduction in its allocation, insisting that the regulator depends heavily on the Ticket Sales Charge to discharge its statutory oversight responsibilities.
Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, argued that while the NCAA supports improved funding for all aviation agencies, any review of the revenue-sharing formula must comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.
According to him, unlike NAMA, which generates significant income from commercial air navigation services, the NCAA relies substantially on the statutory levy to perform its regulatory functions.
“We submit that NCAA’s allocation of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge be restored to 65 per cent to overcome the deficiencies identified by ICAO at its last audit and bring Nigeria in line with global best funding practices,” Najomo said.
He stressed that aviation safety depends on more than legislation.
“Aviation safety is not sustained by legislation alone. It depends upon competent inspectors, effective surveillance, continuous certification, recurrent technical training, international cooperation and an independent regulator possessing the financial capacity to discharge its statutory mandate,” he added.
Domestic airline operators, however, maintained that the issue goes beyond simply redistributing the existing revenue.
Speaking on behalf of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), former NAMA Managing Director and aviation expert, Capt. Roland Iyayi, described the current funding structure as outdated and burdensome to operators.
“The five per cent service charge has outlived its usefulness. It has created a burden on domestic airlines,” Iyayi said.
He disclosed that the association had already submitted a comprehensive proposal advocating broader institutional reforms across the aviation sector rather than merely adjusting the current sharing formula.
According to him, airlines are struggling with escalating operational costs, particularly aviation fuel, which now accounts for nearly 40 per cent of operating expenses.
He explained that many operators now find it increasingly difficult to remit the statutory levy because much of their ticket revenue is consumed by fuel costs.
While backing NAMA’s request for a larger share of the existing pool, the airline operators proposed replacing the percentage-based levy with a unit charge system similar to the Passenger Service Charge collected by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Iyayi also proposed the establishment of an Aviation Development Fund into which all industry revenues would be paid before being transparently distributed among aviation agencies.
He further urged lawmakers to exempt aviation agencies from the Fiscal Responsibility Commission’s remittance requirements, arguing that surplus revenues should remain within the aviation sector for infrastructure development instead of being transferred to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
The airline operators also recommended that revenues from obstacle clearance fees currently collected by the NCAA should be transferred to NAMA, which they said performs the technical assessments required for such approvals.
Declaring the hearing open on behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Rep. Abdullahi Idris Garba, said the proposed amendments were intended to strengthen transparency, improve institutional funding and enhance safety across Nigeria’s aviation sector.
He assured stakeholders that every memorandum submitted during the hearing would receive fair and objective consideration before the committee presents its recommendations to the House of Representatives.
The committee is expected to review all submissions before deciding whether to amend the contentious revenue-sharing formula governing the aviation industry’s five per cent Ticket Sales Charge.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Timehin Adeleye as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency House of Representatives election in Ondo State ahead of the 2027 general election.
The court ruled that Abdugani Arobo is the rightful APC candidate after finding that he won the party’s primary election.
The judgment was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Peter Lifu following a suit filed by Arobo against the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Arobo challenged the party’s decision to submit Adeleye’s name as its candidate.
Although the APC National Working Committee forwarded Adeleye’s name to INEC, the decision was opposed by some party members and leaders in Ondo State, prompting Arobo to take the matter to court.
In its judgment, the court held that the APC did not make a lawful return from the primary election and said the evidence presented by the party contained contradictions.
Justice Lifu ruled that Arobo won the APC primary election held on May 16, 2026, after securing the highest lawful votes.
Abbas hails Team Nigeria for sterling outing at Commonwealth Games
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