The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following President Bola Tinubu’s directive ordering the anti-graft agency to lift the restriction placed on the Osun State Government’s bank account.

Sowore reacted in a post on his official 𝕏 account on Thursday, accusing the EFCC of allowing itself to be used by those in power to pursue political objectives. His comments came shortly after President Tinubu directed the commission to vacate the court order freezing the state’s account, citing concerns over the timing of the action just days before the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

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The President had earlier expressed personal embarrassment over the EFCC’s decision to obtain a court order freezing the account, arguing that although the commission acted within its legal mandate, the timing created an impression that federal institutions could be used to interfere in the electoral process. Tinubu subsequently ordered the EFCC to immediately approach the court to vacate the order and discontinue the action against the Osun State Government.

Reacting to the development, Sowore alleged that the reversal reinforced claims that the anti-corruption agency operates under political influence rather than independently.

“The @OfficialEFCC has become a tool in the hands of those in power, deployed whenever they want to pursue their political objectives. And now its ‘owners’ have called it to order!” Sowore wrote on 𝕏.

Before the President’s intervention, the EFCC had maintained that the restriction was imposed after investigators detected suspicious financial transactions involving the Osun State Government’s account during an ongoing probe into the alleged management of about ₦11 billion in public funds. The commission insisted that the action had no connection with the forthcoming governorship election and was carried out strictly in line with its statutory responsibilities.

However, the freezing of the account drew criticism from opposition politicians, lawyers and civil society organisations, who argued that restricting access to a state’s statutory allocation account could disrupt governance and create the perception of political interference ahead of the election. Sowore’s reaction adds to the growing debate over the independence of anti-corruption institutions and the balance between law enforcement actions and the need to preserve public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.