By Precious Mark
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of acting on flawed intelligence, declaring that the President was misinformed when he claimed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order to freeze the bank accounts of the Osun State Government.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party asserted that President Tinubu was either misinformed or deliberately misrepresenting the facts.
The party noted that the EFCC had continuously cited its statutory administrative powers rather than any judicial mandate when taking the action.The ADC argued that President Tinubu’s public admission of intervening directly in the matter completely dismantles the administration’s long-standing narrative regarding the operational independence of anti-corruption bodies.
“What we find most curious about the statement is the President’s repeated reference to an alleged court order authorizing the freezing of the Osun State Government’s accounts.”
“In all of its public statements on this matter, the EFCC never once claimed that it had obtained a court order. The Commission consistently defended its actions on the basis of its statutory powers and what it described as a ‘preventive mandate.’ At no point did it inform Nigerians that a court had authorized its actions,” the party stated.
The party questioned the source of the President’s information, demanding to know why neither official press statements from the EFCC nor its spokesperson during media appearances made any mention of a judicial freeze order.
“If no such order exists, why would the President introduce one into the public narrative? It is either the President was misinformed or he chose to misrepresent the facts. Either possibility is deeply disturbing,” the statement noted.
The opposition platform further challenged claims of non-interference by the executive branch, maintaining that if the President possesses the authority to direct the withdrawal of court cases for political expediency ahead of an election, he retains equal leverage over all other operational decisions of state law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, the ADC described the presidential intervention as a response to widespread public outrage and condemnation from civil society rather than a voluntary act of democratic restraint.
It also raised concerns over the unusual nature of the statement, which was personally signed by President Tinubu rather than issued through standard official presidency communication channels.
Concluding its statement, the ADC urged the President to extend his intervention policy to other federal agencies, suggesting that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) be similarly directed to cease opposing the bail application of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.