Nigeria Minority Caucus accuses Tinubu of inconsistent EFCC directives

The House of Representatives Minority Caucus has accused President Bola Tinubu of issuing a "panicky, belated afterthought" directive to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regarding the freezing of Osun State Government accounts.

The lawmakers pointed to contradictions within the administration, noting that while the EFCC spokesman previously stated the accounts were frozen without a valid court order, the President later directed the agency to seek a court order to vacate the freeze. The Caucus characterized this as a sign of a "government at war with itself."

The opposition lawmakers further alleged that the federal government is engaging in a pattern of intimidation against Osun State ahead of its upcoming governorship election. Specific allegations include the withholding of statutory allocations to local governments, political violence involving APC supporters, and the arrest of the Osun State Government Secretary, Teslim Igbalaiye.

Separately, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cited a report from the Human Rights Foundation which classifies Nigeria as a "full authoritarian state." The PDP argued this assessment confirms local concerns regarding the erosion of democratic institutions, the suppression of dissent, and a lack of effective legislative oversight over the executive.