Ex-Vice President and Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the freezing of the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,vEFCC.
He described the action as a dangerous assault on democracy ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Thursday in Abuja, Atiku said the development raised serious questions about the neutrality of institutions saddled with upholding the rule of law.
He said the timing of the account freeze was troubling and capable of undermining public confidence in the credibility of the electoral process.
His words, “It is impossible to ignore the implications of freezing a state’s principal operational account on the eve of a governorship election. Such an action could disrupt governance, delay salary payments, impede essential public services and create an atmosphere of intimidation that has no place in a democratic society.”
Atiku said where there were legitimate concerns requiring investigation, the law provided for due process, warning anti-corruption agencies against actions that could create the perception of political interference.
“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,” he said.
He said Nigeria’s democracy depended not only on free and fair elections but also on public confidence that government institutions operated independently and professionally.
“The selective and politically convenient deployment of state institutions diminishes public trust and weakens the democratic order. Institutions established to enforce the law must never become instruments for creating fear or conferring political advantage,” he said.
He further linked the development to what he described as a pattern under the President Bola Tinubu administration, alleging that opposition-controlled states had become targets of coercive federal actions.
Atiku cited the earlier withholding of Osun State’s statutory local government allocations as another example.
“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.
“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,” he said.
Atiku urged institutions involved in the conduct of the Osun governorship election to act with restraint, impartiality and adherence to the Constitution, stressing that the people of the state should be allowed to determine the outcome of the poll.
He said, “President Tinubu is leaving no one in doubt that he is determined to win elections at all costs. Democracy cannot coexist with the systematic weaponisation of state institutions against political opponents.
“I therefore call on all opposition parties and every Nigerian committed to constitutional democracy to close ranks and resist this dangerous drift before it is too late.”
