The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu-led administration over the freezing of the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing the move as a threat to democracy ahead of the state’s governorship election.

Atiku, through a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the anti-graft agency’s decision to freeze the account days before the election raises serious concerns about the neutrality of institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law.

He argued that there was no justification for such action at a critical period, warning that the timing could erode public confidence in the credibility of the electoral process.

According to the former Vice President, freezing the state’s principal operational account on the eve of the election could disrupt governance, delay salary payments, hinder the delivery of essential public services and create an atmosphere of intimidation inconsistent with democratic principles.

“If there are legitimate concerns requiring investigation, the law provides due process. Anti-corruption agencies must not conduct themselves in a manner that creates the perception that they are being deployed to influence political outcomes or weaken elected governments at critical electoral moments,” the statement read.

Atiku further maintained that Nigeria’s democracy depends not only on the conduct of free and fair elections but also on public confidence that state institutions operate independently, professionally and without political interference.

He alleged that opposition-controlled states have increasingly become targets of what he described as coercive federal actions under the Tinubu administration.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the pattern under the Tinubu administration, where opposition-controlled states appear to be the consistent targets of coercive federal actions. Coming after the prolonged denial of Osun State’s statutory local government allocations, this latest action reinforces the disturbing impression that public institutions are being weaponised to punish political opponents rather than serve the Nigerian people,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate urged the EFCC to immediately reverse the freezing of the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account, insisting that the action would ultimately hurt residents of the state rather than the government.

“Freezing the state’s allocation account is not merely an attack on the Osun State Government; it is a direct assault on the people of Osun State, whose salaries, essential public services and daily governance stand to suffer. The anti-corruption mandate of the EFCC must never be distorted into a political weapon against opposition governments,” Atiku stated.

He also called on all institutions involved in the conduct of the forthcoming Osun governorship election to remain impartial and uphold the provisions of the Constitution.

“The people of Osun State alone must determine the outcome of their election. No external force or institution of government should, by action or omission, cast a shadow over the credibility of that democratic choice,” he added.

The development comes a day after the EFCC defended its decision to freeze the Osun State Government’s First Bank account, saying the measure was necessary to prevent the alleged diversion of about ₦11 billion currently under investigation.

The commission said it commenced an investigation into the state’s finances in March 2026 over the alleged fraudulent management of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

According to the EFCC, several state officials, including the Accountant General, have been questioned in connection with the probe.

The anti-graft agency further disclosed that investigators detected what it described as suspicious movements of large sums of money from the state’s accounts into various corporate entities beginning on August 2, 2026, prompting the restriction placed on the account pending the conclusion of investigations.