Calls for the removal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, intensified on Friday as opposition parties and some Nigerians responded to the freezing of the Osun State Government’s account.
They described the action of the anti-graft agency as politically motivated, alleging that the commission had demonstrated partisanship ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The Accord Party, New Nigeria People’s Patry and many netizens asked President Bola Tinubu to sack Olukoyede if he did not resign.
Some groups, however, asked the EFCC boss to leave honourably after the President disowned his action.
The EFCC had on Wednesday ordered a Post No Bill on the Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank on the grounds of suspicious transactions.
The commission claimed that it had been investigating the account since March 2026 and that it had the power to freeze an account for 72 hours based on reasonable suspicion.
But the President, on Thursday, directed the EFCC to unfreeze the account, describing the commission’s action as embarrassing.
Saturday PUNCH notes that the EFCC’s statement explaining its action generated more than 4,500 comments on X alone, with the majority criticising the move 10 days to the governorship election.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the President, Bayo Onanuga’s tweet announcing the reversal of the action attracted over 1,600 comments, with many slamming both Tinubu and the EFCC.
We’ve lost confidence in EFCC – Accord Party
Commenting on the matter, the National Chairman of Accord Party, Maxwell Mgbudem, said the party had lost confidence in the leadership of the EFCC, alleging that the commission’s action was political.
Mgbudem, who addressed a world press conference at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Friday, said Olukoyede needed to resign.
“Having demonstrated unprecedented partisanship in Osun State politics, assaulted the sensibilities of fellow compatriots and brought the nation to ridicule and disrepute before the international community, Accord has lost confidence in the current leadership of the EFCC.
“Accordingly, Accord demands the immediate resignation of the EFCC chairman. For embarrassing the President, the party, the government and people of Osun State, and fellow citizens, the EFCC chairman should toe the path of honour and tender his resignation.
“If he fails to resign, President Tinubu should sack him immediately to restore the integrity of the anti-graft agency,” he said.
Mgbudem insisted that there should be no “sacred cow” in efforts to sanitise the anti-corruption agency and strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system.
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The party also urged security agencies and other institutions involved in the Osun election to remain impartial and operate within the law.
“Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the National Chairman of the NNPP, Major Agbo, also backed calls for Olukoyede’s resignation, even as he raised concerns over the perceived erosion of the EFCC’s independence.
He said the President ought to have allowed the commission to complete its investigation instead of intervening.
Agbo said, “When I saw the President’s order directing that the account be unfrozen, I was surprised because, if I were him, I would have allowed the EFCC to do its job. It does not matter when it acted. The timing may have been wrong, but what is important is that it was carrying out its mandate.
“But asking the EFCC to unfreeze the account does not speak well of the commission’s independence. The implication is that it takes orders from the President.”
